ABSTRACT The British colonisation of Australia was made possible by its co-option of unfree labour. Unwillingly placed at the leading edge of the colonising wave, the convict provided the labour power and skill through which land was alienated from its original inhabitants, infrastructure created and services rendered. A key feature of this process was the clearance, ‘improvement’ and targeted harvesting of the thickly timbered parts of the colonies. Combining heavy manual labour and skilled craft, timber-getting quickly became a staple task of convicts both in private and public service. This paper examines the deployment of convict labour by the government, focussing predominantly on the former convict probation station of Cascades, on the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania (1842–55). The way in which the administrators achieved punitive and economic aims is examined using the archaeological, historical and architectural record. Documentary and archaeological evidence is used to understand the timber-getting processes, and how penological requirements were incorporated. The paper also examines the timber resources that the convicts were required to extract and convert, shedding more light on the motives and processes of attainment.

中文翻译：

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“……最严苛的职责之一……”：在前塔斯马尼亚监狱取材的风景

摘要 英国对澳大利亚的殖民化是通过对不自由劳动力的共同选择而实现的。罪犯不情愿地处于殖民浪潮的前沿，提供了劳动力和技能，通过这些劳动力和技能，土地与原始居民、基础设施的建立和提供的服务分离。这个过程的一个关键特征是清除、“改善”和有针对性地收割殖民地的茂密木材部分。结合繁重的体力劳动和熟练的工艺，伐木很快成为私人和公共服务中罪犯的主要任务。本文考察了政府对囚犯劳工的部署，主要关注塔斯马尼亚塔斯曼半岛上的前囚犯缓刑站 Cascades（1842-55 年）。使用考古、历史和建筑记录检查管理人员实现惩罚和经济目标的方式。文献和考古证据用于了解木材获取过程，以及如何纳入刑罚要求。该论文还研究了要求罪犯提取和转化的木材资源，进一步阐明了获得的动机和过程。