The country’s history of incarceration and convicts will be on display in two simultaneous exhibitions at the WA Museum – Kalgoorlie from February 6.

The first, Rockbreakers, tells the story of the convict-built, prisoner-filled Fremantle Prison and Old Perth Gaol and their little-known shared rock and mineral collection during the 1880s.

Originally housed at the Fremantle Prison, the Geological Museum moved to Perth Goal when it closed in 1888 and Fremantle took their remaining prisoners. The collection was the catalyst for what is now the Western Australian Museum – Perth.

WA Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder manager Zoe Scott said the Geological Museum served as a reference collection for explorers and prospectors who often made their way to the Goldfields seeking the riches of the land.

“At the time, Kalgoorlie and Boulder were abuzz with people keen to find their fortune in an area built off the back of mineral wealth,” Ms Scott said.

“The wide-ranging exhibition features rock and mineral specimens from the original geological collections including malachite, copper, slate, coal and a fragment of the Youndegin meteorite found in 1884 near York.”

The second exhibition, A convict in the family? reveals the connections between convict settlers, their direct descendants and the petty crimes that changed the course of their families’ histories.

Drawn from a diverse cross-section of the community by documentary photographer Mine Kinakci, sitters were captured alongside a representation of the item, or items, their ancestors stole.

“Many of Australia’s early convicts suffered disproportionately in comparison to today’s standards for their crimes. A minor crime, such as stealing a loaf of bread, often resulted in transportation to a new colony and a new path in their family’s history,” Ms Scott said.

“Fascinatingly though perhaps not surprisingly, many sitters discovered their convict heritage for the first time through their involvement in the project.”

Rockbreakers will be on display at the WA Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder until April 20. A Convict in the Family continues until April 27, 2014. 

Media contact
Niki Comparti
Media and Publicity Officer
Western Australian Museum
(08) 6552 7805
niki.comparti@museum.wa.gov.au