Cockatoo Island, Its Superintendent and the Convict Prize Fighters
Join the City of Canada Bay Heritage Society and Sue Castrique, as she explores the fractious life and uncommon career of Charles Ormsby. Superintendent of Cockatoo Island from 1842-1859, Ormsby was a gentleman, an autocrat and the master of surveillance when Cockatoo Island became the venue for a secret fight club with prize-fighting convicts as its main attraction. The subject of multiple investigations, Ormsby’s life lives on through a rich vein of historical material, cementing his place as the irascible superintendent of the last penal settlement created in NSW.
The talk will be followed by light refreshments and a chance to chat with the speaker.
When: Saturday 3 June 2017, 1:30pm
Where: City of Canada Bay Museum, 1 Bent St, Concord
Cost: Free – donations welcome
Contact: heritage@canadabayheritage.asn.au or 02 9743 3034
Image: Cockatoo Island, pre-1864, courtesy State Library of NSW