"Thomas Cook, a lawyer's clerk, was convicted of writing a threatening letter and transported to New South Wales on the Surry in 1831. He worked initially as a clerk of stores in Sydney but was dismissed from this position and placed on road gangs in the Blue Mountains. There he experienced brutal treatments, working in irons for 12 months and witnessing the corrupting influence of the convict overseers, many of whom encouraged homosexuality among the convicts. In 1835 he was sent to Port Macquarie among other 'specials', or educated convicts, but absconded, was recaptured and sentenced to Norfolk Island for life. On arrival, Cook laboured for three months at Longridge, then was made a clerk in the Royal Engineer's Office. He became chief clerk and storekeeper, and ultimately a principal overseer. Cook found that the level of corruption, injustice, depravity and misery on Norfolk Island under Commandant Joseph Anderson surpassed any that he had hitherto witnessed. He claims that moderate men were forced into desperate action by inhumane treatment, relating details of the convict mutiny of 1834 as told to him by participants, and describing escape attempts against great odds, and murders committed for the sake of incurring the death sentence. When Alexander Maconochie became Commandant in 1840, he immediately introduced changes to the system of convict discipline, providing rewards for good behaviour, and allowing some dignity and responsibility to the convicts, who, Cook claims, responded with an enormous improvement in behaviour. In 1841, due to good behavior, particularly his bravery during a boating accident in February 1840, Cook was permitted to return to Sydney, his narrative ending at the point. He absconded from Port MAcquarie in 1843 and was not recaptured" (Walsh and Hooton 39).
Source
Walsh, Kay and Joy Hooton. Australian Autobiographical Narratives : An Annotated Bibliography. Canberra : Australian Scholarly Editions Centre, University College, ADFA and National Library of Australia, 1993.
