Convict Orphans (2023) by American-Australian historian, Lucy Frost, explores the long-forgotten story of abandoned children in 19th century Australia.

The subject of Convict Orphans is the 6,000 children who were in the Queen’s Orphan Schools in Tasmania between 1828 and 1879. Most of the children travelled on convict ships with their parents, parents who were unable to care for them on arrival in Tasmania.

From the Orphan Schools, the children were apprenticed out at age 12. Girls usually did domestic work and boys, labouring. Often the conditions the children worked were horrendous, although some were treated well.

Convict Orphans was longlisted for the 2024 Green Family Tasmanian History Award.