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The Canberra District includes: the area in between Gundaroo (north), Bungendore/Lake George/Lake Bathurst (east), south to the Monaro (for reasons spelt out below), Queanbeyan, and west to the Brindabella Ranges. It may include some regions beyond these boundaries, due to landholders occupying land in those regions. It does not include Goulburn or Braidwood, where these towns are specifically identified.
The list includes: known assignees to the Canberra district that gained a Ticket-of-leave, Free Report, Passport, a Pardon, in Queanbeyan NSW, or were Free by Servitude within the area. The 1828 Census designates some people as FREE, but since they arrived on a convict ship, they have been included until research proves otherwise. A ‘F’ or ‘CF’ has been placed next to their name since their sentence may have expired by the time they were employed in the district. Basically, if they were in the district at any point in time, then they are included here, until proved otherwise, in which case they will be removed!
Various names were used for Canberra and the surrounding district in the 1828 Census. The name ‘Goulburn Plains’ can include Burra, Bywong, Canbury (Canberra), Gundaroo, Limestone Plains (Canberra), Gingira (Jingera), Gunning, Michalago (Michelago), Molonglo, Murrumbateman, Murrumbidgee, Tarago, Yass and Yass Plains. ‘Maneroo’ (Monaro/Monaroo) can also mean those places including and south of the Limestone Plains (Canberra).
The benefit of doubt has been taken with convicts who resided on the ‘Goulburn Plains’, ‘Yass’ or ‘Maneroo’. Many were employed by known local district landholders who may have deployed their labourers on other acreages they held in the region as watchmen/shepherds/hutkeepers attending stock.
Robert Campbell of Duntroon was often described in the 1828 Census as ‘R. (or Robt.) Campbell, Limestone Plains, Goulburn Plains’. John Palmer of Ginninderra was likewise. In these cases only ‘LP’ has been used.
If you are descended from a convict listed on this website, or know of one we may have missed – your contribution would be gratefully accepted. If they did NOT receive a Ticket of Leave, Passport, or Pardon from the area mentioned above, they will not be included.
Please note that the list is incomplete and as sources are located it will be updated. Note the ‘Update’ date in the footer.
All ships have been checked with, and names corrected, using Bateson and/or other available shipping records as noted in the ‘Key – Sources’, including the Sydney Gazette.
The Key to a numbered superscript reference source is located under ‘Key – Sources’. All sources are referenced wherever possible.
Surnames marked in RED can also be located on the DISTRICT’S PEOPLE page. Profiles submitted by descendants or interested persons are mentioned below in Convict Profiles.
