Australian Convict Sites World Heritage values
The Australian Convict Sites are nominated under criteria (iv) and (vi) under the UNESCO Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention for its outstanding global significance.
Criteria
An exceptional example of the forced migration of convicts - an important stage of human history (criterion iv)
The sites illustrate the use of penal transportation to: expand the geo-political influence of Britain; punish criminals and deter crime in Britain; and reform and rehabilitate the criminal elements of society.
An extraordinary example of global ideas and developments associated with the punishment and reform of the criminal elements of humanity during the Age of Enlightenment and the modern era (criterion vi)
The sites reflect new philosophies about the punishment of crime including: the spread of penal transportation across the globe; the shift from corporal punishment to new forms of psychological punishment; the establishment of purpose-built prisons for female prisoners and juvenile prisoners; and the rise of the national penitentiary system in Britain.
Heritage values
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