Year Since My Last Entry example essay topic

Diary entry 1: January 6 1832 I just arrived in Sydney after my 6-month journey from England. This trip has been the worst experience of my life. I was sent on this death trip all because I stole 1 meter of silk ribbon from my master, It was my sisters wedding and I wanted to look good, My master also paid me poorly and I was angry at him for that. As I was running from his room he caught me and hit me hard on the head. Everything went black. I woke up to sound of my masters screaming.

"What did you think you were doing, the police are on their way over here and god forbids what they will do with you. I started crying in the corner rubbing my head where I had been struck. I could here muttering then the police came in. They forcefully grabbed me and took me down to the old jail, which was full of people screaming and fighting. I was thrown into this pack off wild people and was expected to sleep that night... no such luck. In the morning the police took me down to the old bailey where I had my court proceeding and was sentenced to 7 years transportation, I was shocked and couldn't talk and that's the last I remember before now.

In Sydney I've been assigned as a servant, a married farmer picked me to be his wife's servant. The conditions here are poor with shabby rooms and food. The veggies they fed me last night were off. My master and mistress occasionally get slightly riper foods such as fish or fresh herbs. Around here I work hard cleaning my mistresses room. Preparing meals and collecting and veggies that are grow in the garden.

All in all it's not that bad. Diary entry 2: March 25 1832 Today I was shopping with the mistress when I bumped in to a young man. We started talking and turns out he was a convict aswell. When he was younger he was sent to Port Puer for pick-pocketing a wealthy man, he did it to buy food for his sick baby brother, but alas he was caught and sentenced to 7 years transportation. When he got to Port Puer he was sent to a special boy's prison, The buildings there were rough and overcrowded. Davis (his name) worked hard long hours.

Everyday this 15-year old boy worked 7 1/2 hours along with church, school, bible readings and prayers. Diary entry 3: May 18 1833 Its been a year since my last entry and life's been... well ok I guess, yesterday I met up with an old ex-convict named Mark. He was a very bad convict who stayed at Port A uther. He was in a chain gang because of his behavior. He told me that they made him wear Grey and yellow.

He wore 2 to 3 kg of iron chains around his ankles, which has caused him to limp when he walks. At night they locked him in a hut along with other bad convicts. In the day he was chained to other convicts who he made quite good friends with. Sometimes when Mark didn't work hard enough they wouldn't feed him supper.

Poor Mark had to go through all of this for trying to escape under normal surveillance and stealing food. Mark is indeed a scary man but I like him: . Diary entry 4: June 25 1835 My god I haven't touched this diary for a long time. I've been assigned as a servant for 5 years and been granted a ticket of leave. Although I still have to behave myself I am no longer obliged to work for the government. I am not aloud to leave the district and have to report to the police every six months until my sentence expires.

I've decided to work as a servant for a lady named Margaret Crimson. I help her clean and cook, as she is too old and weak. I get a wage and I'm saving up so when I finish my sentence I can buy my own land. Diary entry 5: August 2 1836 It's been a year and Margaret has died. Instead I now work for her daughter, Sarah who is 7 years older then me. She is very nice to me and I work hard for her.

I was buying myself some fruit when someone I noticed passed by. I taped them on the shoulder and it was Mary Reibey, one of the young convicts. Mary was arrested when she was 13 years old for dressing up as a boy and stealing a horse. For this prank she was sentenced to 7 years transportation.

She arrived in Sydney in 1792 and got some work as a nursemaid in Major Grosse's house. Two years later she married Thomas Reibey, an Irish merchant. Together they built up a big business as traders and landowners. When Thomas died in 1811, Mary continued her career as a businesswoman to support her 7 kids. She opened a warehouse, bought land supervised several farms and ran a flourishing trading business aswell. She is a very wealthy lady and I hope to catch up with her again soon.

Sixth diary entry April 9 1838 My sentence is nearly up and I can't wait! I was thinking of opening a hat shop as I can make them very well but I guess we " ll have to wait and see. Today I bumped into Norma Watts. She was one of my only friends on the fleet.

We were separated when we got off the ship, I went to the farm and she went to the female factory in Parramatta where they made her produce woolen cloth for winter clothing. The factory started getting more packed with people, it once held 300 and was now holding 1200 so Norma lodged with a local settler and prostituted herself to help pay the rent. Other woman lived happily as 'wives' with their 'husbands' without ever actually getting married. However these woman were usually regarded as 'prostitutes'. Norma's sentence is now up and she lives happily on a farm with 2 kids. We " ve decided to have lunch together one time just to catch up on old things.

Anyway after we finished talking I was walking and made such a fool of myself by tripping over. A young man ran over to help me up, he was handsome and his name was William. We talked and decided to see each other again. Seventh diary entry: June 11 1889 I have finally completed my sentence and I've packed my bags ready to move in with William. He lives in the country on a nice block of land. He's also going to help me set up my small hat making business, I hope I get as rich as Mary Reibey is.

William and me think we " re going to have a baby together! My life's looking brighter already and who knows what will happen next... The end

Bibliography

First entry: Ghosts may be heard page 104 Second entry: Ghosts may be heard pages 109-110 Third entry: Dreamtime to a Nation pages 132-139 Forth entry: SOSE 3 second edition page 12 Fifth entry: SOSE 3 second edition page 11 Ghost may be heard page 114 Sixth entry: SOSE 3 second edition page 11.