Convict Trail Project Inc.

Contact
Research Costs
  • By negociation often exchange of information
Approximate Membership
  • 100 organizations and indivudial members
Membership Cost
  • Organizations, negociated support; Indivudials $30 p/a conc $25 p/a
Magazine/Journal
  • "The PICK" annual journal of original research $12.00 posted
Newsletter
  • 'Roadworks in Progress' published 3 times a year
Founded
  • 1995

The Convict Trail Project was established for the care, protection and promotion of the 1826 – 1836 convict built Great North Road. The road, built to connect Sydney with Newcastle and the Upper Hunter, was the first official overland route. Part of the road, Devines Hill at Wisemans Ferry, managed by the National Parks was recently inscribed on the World Heritage List as one of the Australian Convict Sites. Much of the rest of the 240 kilometre road still carries today’s traffic on the 1820-30s dry stone retaining wall and stone culverts. The Convict Trail Project was started as a grass roots organization by community groups concerned about what was happening to the road and it then involved the road managers, Councils, the NPWS and the RTA. Now over 40 organizations and government organizations at all levels, are members or supporters of the Convict Trail Project.  

Projects

It has been estimated that up to 7000 convicts worked building the Great North Road. We know the names of approximately 1500 of these men. We have a long term project to research /collect research on all the known convicts and collect as many of the names of the unknown convicts as people find reference to them being in road gangs. If we can collect enough data we want to analyze the effects if any of working in a road gang.
Another ongoing project is the publication of an annual journal of original research. The theme for the journal due for publication in June 2011 is the Women of the Great North Road, the wives, mistresses and assigned women of the men associated with building the road and the women who lived in the road environs; any women who were affected by the construction of the road. The editorial committee welcomes appropriate articles for assessment for publication up to early May.

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