A Captivating Colonial Chronicler – Margaret Catchpole
Learn about Margaret Catchpole, an important chronicler of life in the NSW colony
Convict Margaret Catchpole arrived in Sydney Cove in 1801.
Between 1802 and 1811, she wrote to relatives and friends in England giving detailed accounts of the beauty and bountifulness she saw in her world of exile, as well as the cruelty and misfortune experienced by many.
In this talk, Ronda, a passionate family historian with particular interest in the lives of colonial convict women, will unpack a selection of her letters, revealing Margaret’s role as an important chronicler of life in the colony and a woman who defies the female convict stereotype.