7
The Hougoumont’s arrival at the Swan River Colony of Western Australia was greeted with a trickle of fanfare for the free travelling passengers. However, the hapless prisoners were quickly ushered from the dock and into their accommodations at the local Prison.
Conditions were an improvement on Coldbath Prison. The food was marginally better, the fresh water untainted, but always too little. Unexpected prison yard release gave the new prisoners the chance to breathe fresh air, to luxuriate in the sun’s warmth and to experience the refreshing afternoon onshore sea breeze, which arrived with amazing regularity at the end of each hot day.
Though this prison was designed with a focus on prisoner reform, there was little respite for the inmates. All prisoners were subjected to ten hours pe
