Convict Probation Station Libraries in Colonial Tasmania

In 1803, Tasmania, or Van Diemen’s Land as it was known for the first half century of its occupation by Britain, was founded as a penal colony. This paper discusses the provision of books and libraries for convicts under the probation system. I first discuss the circumstances surrounding the study, then offer a brief description of prison practices as a result of convict transportation, drawing on government correspondence and reports relating to convict books and reading. Finally, I examine extant volumes provided for convicts by the colonial authorities under the probation system.