The Swan River Colony (Western Australia) received 234 apprentices between 1842 and 1849, then chose to accept adult convicts as well.

[citation needed] From its early days as a prison for young offenders, Parkhurst faced severe criticism from the public, politicians and the press due to its harsh régime (including the use of leg irons initially).

[5] The prison became a focal point for reformers, most notably Mary Carpenter (1807–1877), who campaigned against the use of imprisonment for children.

During those four days, the escapees lived rough in a shed in a garden in Ryde, after failing to steal a plane from the local flying club.

[8] High-profile criminals including Lord William Beauchamp Nevill,[9] the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe,[10] Moors Murderer Ian Brady, drug smuggler Terrance John Clark and the Kray twins,[11] were incarcerated there.

In December 1971, Gaughan had been sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years imprisonment for his involvement in an IRA bank robbery in Hornsey, north London, which yielded £530 (equivalent to £9,500 in 2023).