Australian Dress Register

It is evident that the uniforms were designed in a way that would afford the convicts no pleasure in the wearing. The cloth of which they are constructed is a coarse weave and fibre, rough against the skin of the convict. The colour yellow was   associated with humiliation and also contributed to the uniforms being easily identified, making it almost impossible for the convict to hide his shame from the general dress_reg_live. So disliked was the uniform that some convicts gambled away their issued clothing until they had nothing of it left. Having no uniform to wear may have been tolerable in the summer months but the harshness of the Tasmanian winter would have provided a different but very real displeasure.

How does this costume relate to the wider historical   context?* (400 words) 

The convict story is important in understanding Tasmania's European history. The colonisation of Van Diemen's Land was to offer relief to the problem of an overcrowded  British prison system. In 1836  75% of the European population of Van Diemen's Land were convicts, former convicts or of convict ancestry. Port Arthur became a penal settlement for repeat offending criminals, and for a large portion of the prison’s operation these men and boys experienced a reformation system based on corporal punishment. Convicts worked in leg irons in hard labour gangs, the threat of the cat of nine tails or solitary confinement for disobedience keeping them in order. This was replaced by a punishment system of enforced isolation, resulting in many of the prisoners experiencing excessive mental suffering. The Convict uniforms are an   important part of this history; they enable us to further understand the hardships enforced by the British colonial government. The uniforms were designed to be practical but not comfortable, made from harsh wool fibre and dyed yellow, the colour of disgrace, to further humiliate the convict. The jackets interior is printed with the letters 'W.D.' indicating the garment was issued by the War Department and a broad arrow stamp identifying the garment as government  property. The uniforms were made by the convicts themselves, those with appropriate skills were assigned to tailoring workshops. Labouring was considered part of the reformation of the convict along with scholastic and religious instruction. Port Arthur is famous for its harsh convict environment, many convicts attempted escape from the prison settlement, manipulating the uniforms using bush dyes and learned tailoring techniques but for most the attempts were unsuccessful resulting in further hardship and brutality on return to Port Arthur.

The information used is a research collaboration of staff and volunteers of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.

This garment was a part of a collection of Tasmanian convict uniforms collected by antiquarian  J.W. Beattie. The garments had been on public display in Beattie’s Port  Arthur Museum in Hobart, before being purchased by the Launceston City Council in 1927 for its museum, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. Early exhibition practices were not well informed and much damage has been caused to the garments during this period through excessive light exposure and poor display arrangements. Beattie's collection has also been featured in exhibitions at the Queen Victoria Museum  and Art Gallery.

1. Colour: Yellow

2. Fibre: Wool

3. Weave: Plain Weave

 Fibre and weave

 The cloth of which this convict jacket is made is a wool fibre. Appraisals by the Tasmanian Guilds wool classer identified the fibre as originating from the Suffolk sheep breed. The Department of Agriculture confirms that Suffolk sheep were first introduced into Australia in 1904. This information supports the opinion that the cloth was not woven locally even though there were convicts assigned the tasks of cloth production at the Darlington penal station on Maria Island as well as spinning of woollen yarn at Female Houses of Correction (known as colloquially as Female Factories).The cloth has a plain weave of approximately 26 ends per inch (Warp) and 20 picks per inch (weft). Suffolk sheep produce a coarse, springy and hard-wearing fleece which made a cloth that is durable but rough and uncomfortable against the skin. The cloth has been felted to increase its durability as well as the water repellence of the cloth. Research into the dyes used on the cloth has been undertaken by the Chemistry Department of the University of Tasmania; the study confirms the presence of tin and chromium on the cloth, indicating that a natural dye has been used. This knowledge also helps date the cloth, as synthetic dyes were not used until 1856.

On arrival in Van Diemen's Land under the Probation System, all convicts were assessed for previous work experience and skills. Labour was intended to be part of the ‘reformation’ of the prisoner along with scholastic and religious instruction. Capable tailors were assigned the task of sewing convict uniforms. The jacket is stamped with a broad arrow, signifying government ownership, and the letters ‘W.D.’ which indicates that it was issued by the War Department (and is thus post 1855), with the number '2' also stamped on the garment. This jacket has been sewn by hand but evidence suggests that a sewing machine (post 1855) was also used by convict tailors to construct the uniforms. Tailor Stephen Larkins was hired to instruct the convicts of the Separate Prison in 1867 The trade of tailoring was considered to be very suitable employment for the prisoners, as they spent most of their time confined to their cells under a strict rule of silence and devoid of community. The sleeve design of the jacket has been crafted very poorly; the underarm does not have the necessary shaping to achieve a smooth attachment to the jacket body, resulting in an awkward fit. The Jacket is finished with top stitching on the outer edges and keyhole-style buttonholes have been well shaped using blanket / buttonhole stitch and finished with a bar tack. Small metal buttons have been used to fasten the jacket, and also on the sleeve placket. A cross stitch with a bar tack to neaten the button stitching has been applied. The buttons were possibly sewn on the jacket once it was issued to a convict.

 As these uniforms were made for the specific purpose of convict dress and were made by the convicts themselves labels have not been used. The uniforms were however printed with various stamps. This garment is stamped with a broad arrow and the letters ‘W.D.’, indicating that the waistcoat was government property, issued by the War Department. The War Department issued clothing to convicts from 1855. Prior to this the department was known as the Board of Ordnance, and earlier uniforms bear the stamp ‘B.O.’.

As these uniforms were made for the specific purpose of convict dress and were made by the convicts themselves labels have not been used. The uniforms were however printed with various goverment stamps.

Small metal buttons have been used to fasten the front of the jacket and are also used on the sleeve plackets. There are six keyhole-style buttonholes on the front of the jacket and five buttons which have been painted black. The fourth button from the top is missing and the top button has been reattached with what is probably modern nylon monofilament thread. There is one buttonhole and button sewn on the cuff plackets of each sleeve.

As the convict uniforms were not a luxury item interfacing and padding that would enhance the look of the garment have not been used. The fabric is very durable and does not require lining to extend the garment's longevity.

The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery has many men's convict uniform articles in its collection including a yellow jacket, three parti-colour vests, a yellow vest, a pair of corduroy trousers and a cape that is associated with the Cascades Female House of Correction. The collection also contains knitted wool caps, leather hats and shoes and a blue and white check/gingham neckerchief.

Extensive insect damage has occurred to the convict jacket. This damage exposes that interfacing has not been used in the collar or to strengthen the facings