Notorious Stumpets and Dangerous Girls

This excellent resource offers insight into the experiences of women in the convict system and the role they played in the development of early Van Diemen's Land. They became wives, mothers, and matriarchs whose descendants now span generations.

Whether you are beginning your Australian family history journey, investigating a suspected convict connection, or researching the history of Tasmania's earliest settlers, this book provides both historical context and practical information that may help bring an ancestor's story to life.

The title reflects the language and attitudes of the era and the book provides a extensive information for genealogists and local historians seeking to uncover the stories behind the records.

This book has much more than historical background. It includes extensive name indexes that make it easier to locate individual women transported to Van Diemen's Land between 1803 and 1829. Entries often contain details such as:

• The convict's name.

• The offence for which she was convicted.

• Dates associated with conviction or transportation.

• The name of the ship on which she arrived.

• Places of origin.

• References to marriages, assignments, and other significant events.

• Physical descriptions in some cases, providing a rare glimpse of the individual behind the records.

These details are invaluable for those tracing female convict ancestors or attempting to connect transportation records, shipping lists, church registers, and Tasmanian archival sources.

Notorious Strumpets and Dangerous Girls: Convicts in Van Diemen's Land 1803–1829 is a rare and valuable resource for family historians researching convict ancestors, early colonial Tasmania, or the lives of women transported to Australia. It's a unique addition to the BGA Resource Library and available to the community.

Recommended for: Both beginners and experienced researchers interested in Tasmanian and/or Australian convict history and the women whose lives became part of the nation's story.

Posted: 22nd June 2026

Search Terms: Australian genealogy, family history, convict ancestors, female convicts, Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania genealogy, Tasmanian convict records, convict ships, transported women, Australian ancestry, early settlers, colonial Australia, transportation records, genealogy resources, BGA Resource Library, Bundaberg Genealogical Association.