Cat-o’-nine-tails

‘I have known as many as twenty-nine flogged on one single morning, till their backs were as red as a round of beef …’ CONVICT JOSEPH LINGARD, 1846

This flogging whip, commonly known as the ‘cat’, has nine lengths of knotted cord at the end of a wooden handle. At the Hyde Park Barracks, floggings took place in a separate punishment yard, where convicts were strapped to a sturdy wooden triangle to hold them firm during their ordeal. Floggings could only be ordered by a court or magistrate and were carried out under strict guidelines in the presence of medical officers, officials and sometimes other convicts. In 1833, the superintendent at the Hyde Park Barracks, Ernest Slade, introduced his own fearsome version of the ‘cat’, which he claimed could lacerate the skin after only four lashes.

Other items on display

• Cat-o’-nine-tails whip with broad arrow marked on wooden handle

Iron waist restraint

Clamped tightly around the waist, this large iron restraint helped to control convicts in transit between places of confinement, or while being transferred to a secondary penal settlement.

Standard leg-irons

This set of leg-irons weighs 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms). Leg-irons were the most common form of punishment endured by disobedient convicts or those charged with committing further crimes in the colony. Fitted around the convict’s ankles, the rings were riveted in place by a blacksmith before being worn for weeks or even months at a time.

Top leg-irons

These pear-shaped leg-irons were designed to sit on top of a standard set of leg-irons and were fitted as an additional punishment. Being ‘double-ironed’ increased the convict’s pain and suffering and made escape almost impossible.

Bar link leg-irons

These bar link leg-irons weigh about 7½ pounds (3.4 kilograms) and were manufactured in England. Unlike the locally made versions, they have a wide cuff, joined by elongated links. According to reports, they were less effective, as convicts found them easier to slip off.

Leather ankle protector

This leather cuff, with its bone-buttoned tag and zigzag edging was worn under leg-irons to alleviate painful chafing and bruising.

‘Ovalled’ leg-irons

The rings on this set of standard leg-irons have been hammered into an oval shape. This unauthorised practice allowed the rings to be slipped over the ankles and the wearer to possibly escape.

Double-barrel pocket-sized pistol

This pistol was made in Sydney between 1828 and 1836 by Joseph Danks, a convict gunsmith, and is thought to be the earliest surviving firearm made in the colony. Easy to carry, and powerful at close range, this style of firearm was popular with escaped convicts who roamed the countryside as bushrangers and highway robbers.

Other items on display

• Brass gunpowder flask, Justice & Police Museum collection, Sydney Living Museums