The Lake Innes Estate: privilege and servitude in nineteenth century Australia

Abstract

Transportation of over 160,000 convicts to Australia during the period 1788-1868 provided unfree labour for both government and private projects. Prisoners involved in the latter were known as 'assigned servants' and carried out a variety of work for their 'masters'. In spite of accusations at the time from critics of the system, they were not slaves. Not only did they retain rights under the law but most of them eventually became free members of society. In the process they worked for both 'emancipists' (ex-convicts) and free settlers, contributing in some instances to the attainment of an élite status by the latter. Archibald Clunes Innes was an example of this colonial 'aristocracy', creating at his estate a microcosm of hierarchical British society in which assigned servants played a crucial part. Circumstances ultimately frustrated his ambitions but the archaeological record provides an opportunity to test the extent to which social and economic differences between the Innes family and their servants, and between free and bond individuals among those servants, can be identified in the physical evidence.