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 the uniforms are constructed is a coarse weave and fibre, rough against the skin of the convict. The colour yellow was associated with humiliation and also made these uniforms easily identifiable, 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.

 The convict story is important in understanding Tasmania's European history. The colonisation of Van Diemen's Land was intended 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. Parti-coloured clothing was easily recognised as prison uniform, making it difficult for any convict to escape. The uniforms were made by the convicts themselves, with those with appropriate skills 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 environment; many convicts attempted escape from the prison settlement, manipulating the uniforms using bush dyes and learned tailoring techniques but most 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.

Colour: Yellow

Fibre: Wool

Weave: Plain

Fibre and weave

 The cloth of which this convict waistcoat 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, 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 hand sewing convict uniforms. This convict waistcoat has been sewn by hand, and pre-dates the use of sewing machines in colonial penal system (after 1855).The Separate Prison at Port Arthur was built in 1850, and it is possible that this waistcoat was made there, as tailoring was considered to be very suitable employment for the separate prisoners as they spent most of their time confined to their cells under a strict rule of silence and devoid of community. The waistcoat is completed with top stitching on the finished 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 front. The stand collar of the waistcoat is very curious; the design is a simple rectangle similar to a waistband and sits awkwardly around the neck. The purpose of this design was possibly to conserve fabric, but it does not work well. The idea appears to have been further developed and later examples of convict waistcoats have a rectangular collar cut on the bias, allowing it to curve around the neck, but still allowing efficient use of fabric. 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.

The uniforms were made by the convicts,therefore labels have not been used. The uniforms were however printed with various stamps. The broad arrow printed on the waistcoat's interior indicates government ownership; the letters 'BO' refers to the Board of Ordnance, responsible for issuing the uniforms pre 1855.

There are six keyhole-style buttonholes on the front of the waistcoat fastened with small metal buttons.

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.

There is evidence of insect damage.