This is perhaps the only extant diary ever written during the Australian penal era whilst its convict writer was imprisoned. John Ward, writing whilst incarcerated on Norfolk Island but formerly a groom to an officer gentleman, tells a story of thwarted love that he claims led him to a life of crime including theft, sexual assault and more. In telling the candid story of his downfall he exposes his own ruthlessness and lack of empathy.
This book is an insight into the criminal mind, ably examined by author June Slee and gives a glimpse into 19th-century aristocratic life from a servant's perspective.
Published: 2014
Format: softcover
Pages: 207
Illustrations: colour
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