Description and photographs of convicted persons, numerical series - South Australian Police Department (GRS/18642)

This series contains volumes of description sheets of convicted persons, most with photographs. The volumes record both male and female convicted persons.

Prior to 1895 photographs were taken of all committed prisoners. At the suggestion of Detective Lingwood Smith this changed to only photographing convicted prisoners. Prisoners were photographed at the City Watchhouse before being transported to gaol (1). Arrangements were made with local photographers for those convicted at the circuit courts in Port Augusta and Mount Gambier.

Multiple copies of each photograph were produced for including in the intercolonial returns, for Adelaide Gaol and Yatala Labour Prison and for the book and Cabinet in Detective Office (2). Photographs were pasted into these books and particulars of prisoner recorded.

Information recorded includes name, photo number, native place, year of birth, year of arrival in South Australia and name of ship, from where, religion, whether the convicted person could read and write, height, build, weight, complexion, hair colour, eye colour, occupation, special features and marks, finger print classification and criminal history. In many cases the photographer also included sketches of tattoos.

This series is lacking the years 1895 to 1902 and 1908 to 1918. The purpose of the books was to record appearances in case of reoffending. The missing volumes may have been destroyed once all prisoners in the volumes were confirmed deceased. The volumes covering 1903 to 1907 survive in very poor condition.

In 1925 the photographs begin to be arranged by a volume and folio numbering sequence (see GRG5/58).

Arranged numerically.

(1) GRG5/2 PCO 266/1895
(2) GRG5/2 PCO 670/1895