Convict Labour Extraction and Transportation from Britain and Ireland, 1615–1870

UNESCO's 2010 inscription of eleven Australian convict sites onto the World Heritage Register recognized convict transportation as a significant global mobilization of unfree labor, comparable to slavery and indenture. These sites illustrate the institutional structures governing the lives of over 166,000 convicts transported from Britain and Ireland between 1787 and 1868, highlighting Australia's pivotal role as the most substantial penal destination. The listing validated arguments that convict labor was integral to shaping modern societies, with Australia distinguished by its scale and diversity of experiences endured by convicts.

Maxwell-Stewart, H. (2015). Convict Labour Extraction and Transportation from Britain and Ireland, 1615–1870. Global Convict Labour, 168–196. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004285026_008