Courses & Units
Convict Ancestors HAA007
Introduction
Convict, prison and court records can provide rich, if sometimes disturbing, evidence of the lives led by our ancestors. This unit draws upon the expertise of leading historians of crime, the law, and convict transportation to guide you through the vast archival underbelly of the criminal justice system. You will learn about convicts’ journeys from the time of their trials and transportation, through to living under sentence in the Australian penal colonies, and what likely became of them afterwards. You will be shown how to find and use a wide range of digital records and other relevant research materials to contextualise individual convict’s life stories. This is a unit for those who want to get ‘forensic’ about the past.
Summary
| Unit name | Convict Ancestors |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HAA007 |
| Credit points | 12.5 |
| College/School | College of Arts, Law and Education School of Humanities |
| Discipline | History and Classics |
| Coordinator | Doctor Carla Pascoe Leahy |
| Available as an elective? | Yes |
| Delivered By | University of Tasmania |
| Level | Foundation |
Availability
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Term 2 | Off-Campus | International | Domestic | |
Key
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Note
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Key Dates
| Study Period | Start date | Census date | WW date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 2 | 29/4/2024 | 13/5/2024 | 3/6/2024 | 7/7/2024 |
* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).
Unit census dates currently displaying for 2024 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2024 will be available from the 1st October 2023. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).
Learning Outcomes
- Be familiar with the wide range of historical records available to locate individual convicts transported to the Australian penal colonies and to trace their life course experiences
- Be able to read, transcribe, and understand key material presented within convict, court, and prison records
- Be able to situate the experiences of individual convicts within a relevant wider context and convey this information clearly and succinctly
Fee Information
The 2024 Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) rates are still being finalised by the Government and we will update the domestic fee information as soon as we have more details.
Teaching
| Teaching Pattern | Weekly online learning materials (e.g. short video lectures, discussions, readings, activities) (approx. 3 hours). |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Online transcription exercise (10%)|Four online quizzes (40%)|Convict case study (50%) |
| Timetable | View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable |
Textbooks
| Required |
Required readings will be listed in the unit outline prior to the start of classes. |
Links | Booktopia textbook finder |
|---|
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