Functional object - Shackles, Metal Shackles, 22/05/2025

Historical information

Shackles were used as restraint with people who had been arrested. In earlier times in Australia it was common for convicts to be shackled both as a form of restraint and as a punishment. This set has no known provenance .

Significance

While these particular shackles have no known provenance, they remain as a powerful reminder of convict days in the early days of white settlement in Australia where convicts endured harsh and often cruel conditions.

Physical description

These are cast iron metal circular rings D shaped with a lockable straight side and linked by a chain.

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