About the Author

Dr Hamish Maxwell-Stewart is an academic expert on convict life in Australia who teaches History and Classics at the University of Tasmania. Born in Nigeria, raised in England, and schooled at the University of Edinburgh, he migrated to Tasmania in 1996 where he is now internationally recognised for his work on the history of convict transportation. He has published a number of books on the subject, most notably Chain Letters: Narrating Convict Lives (MUP, 2001) with Lucy Frost for which they won the inaugural Kay Daniels award, and Pack of Thieves?: 52 Port Arthur Lives (Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, 2001) with Susan Hood.