The fight to remember Australia’s legendary political prisoners

The Treasury Building has a shocking but important history that must be preserved. It is filled with Tasmanian political, administrative and judicial history and was the place of many executions. Those executed included Matthew Brady, sent to Australia from Britain for taking part in an infamous peaceful protest in 1819 over famine-like conditions and lack of representation. Brady was hung on the steps of the Treasury after escaping the isolated Sarah Island on Macquarie harbour, becoming a legendary bushranger and a Robin Hood-like character; fighting off the British garrison at Sorrell.

The history of political prisoners in Australia like Brady is an electrifying story that positions Australia and Tasmania at the center of the global trade union narrative. Yet it is a history barley mentioned, half forgotten; rarely told – the Radical History Collective intends to change that. The campaign to preserve the Treasury building is one of many fights that need to be had to preserve the rich and glorious history of the political prisoners sent to these shores.