Portraits of Crime – NSW archives

The State Archives of NSW have just released over 46,000 records of people in NSW Gaols from 1870-1930. Each record has the following information:-  http://bit.ly/2mjMkSE

Jack DIAMOND AKA Diamond Jack

The Gaol Photographic Description Books contain a photograph of each prisoner and the following information: number, prisoners’ name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, details of arrival in the colony – ship and year of arrival, trade or occupation, religion, standard of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of hair, colour of eyes, marks or special features, number of previous portrait, where and when tried, offence, sentence, remarks, and details of previous convictions (where and when, offence and sentence).

Valentine BRANCHER alias Calvin CRUG alias Samuel ALCHIN

Even if you dont have any family from NSW it is well worth doing a search. I did a search with just the ‘birthplace’ as a criteria of ‘Western Australia’. There were 71 people in the results some of whom gave the exact town such as the following fellows from the Goldfields.

Valentine BRANCHER alias Calvin CRUG alias Samuel ALCHIN, born Coolgardie on 14 Feb 1897
Jack DIAMOND,  alias Diamond Jack, Born Kalgoorlie on 14 Mar 1895
Charles WENTWORTH alias Jack YACKS, born Kalgoorlie on 29 Aug 1894
John AITKEN born Coolgardie on 8 Jun 1905
Wilfred Edgar HARPER born Coolgardie 2 Oct 1909

This archive is free to search and to down load and save the photograph and record if you are lucky enough to find a relative.

Charles WENTWORTH alias Jack YACKS,

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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