A guide with 17 direct convict ancestors.

I grew up in an old Georgian sandstone building on a farm just outside Richmond, Tasmania — a place built by convict hands back in 1829. When you grow up surrounded by that kind of history, it seeps into you. You can’t help but feel connected to the people who came before.

I enjoy travelling, but everywhere I go only makes me appreciate just how beautiful, unique, and rich in history my island home really is. It also opened my eyes to my own family’s story — turns out I have 17 direct convict ancestors, each with wild and fascinating tales of survival, struggle, and (sometimes) a little bit of rebellion.