The Ticket of Leave

A Ticket of Leave entitled a convict to live where they wished within a given Police District. Working for wages for themselves as though they were free, but they had to report to the authorities regularly at the Ticket of Leave Muster.

Convicts who stayed out of trouble could become eligible for Tickets of Leave, rather like a parole or probation in our modern system. Generally they were eligible after four years of a seven year sentence or after six years for fourteen year sentence or after eight years for a life sentence.

At times they could also be granted a Ticket of Leave as a reward for doing some good service for the government, such as working particularly hard or giving information leading to the apprehension of runaways or finding a new line of road, or river.

On occasions people received a ticket of leave upon arrival,or after working for a limited amount of time for only one master. A ticket permitted you to work for yourself within a Police District as specified by the Bench of Magistrates which recommended the Ticket. A ticket holder could change the district upon application to the Bench of Magistrates. If their business involved travel outside the specified Police District they could apply for a Ticket of Leave Passport. Ticket of Leave holders had to keep their ticket on their person at all times and present it to a constable if requested. Tinsmiths made slim waterproof tins to hold Tickets of Leave. Ticket of Leave holders also had to attend the annual ticket of leave muster or forfeit their ticket.

The Ticket of Leave lasted for a year at a time and was renewed provided the person had behaved themselves. If they were convicted of any offence while they held a Ticket of Leave, they could have it taken away from them. It was easy to lose it. If they went out side the prescribed district without a passport, did not carry their Ticket of Leave, overcharged for work or were drunk and disorderly in town, they could be reported and charged and loose their Ticket of Leave. If they committed a colonial offence they not only lost their Ticket of Leave they could be sentenced to a chain gang or a penal colony.