Once a trade school and reformatory for over 700 convict boys, Point Puer Boys' Establishment (1834–1849) survives today as a largely unexcavated archaeological landscape containing tumbled stone walls, half-dug foundation trenches, and eight lonesome solitary cells perched on a cliff. In this talk, Caiti D'Gluyas will focus on the archaeological landscape to interpret the spatial logic of the domestic, institutional and punitive spaces; the aqueduct that served a site with no reliable fresh water; and the siltstone construction and quarry face that speak to the texture of institutional life. This talk takes the material record seriously on its own terms, moving across the Point Puer peninsula to examine what is actually there, beneath the bracken and blue gums.

This talk is presented in conjunction with 'Little Depraved Felons: The Boys of Point Puer', an exhibition at Port Arthur Historic Site exploring the first purpose-built juvenile prison in the British Empire.

About the speaker: Caiti D'Gluyas is a Lecturer in Historical Archaeology at The University of Queensland. Her research spans archaeology, cultural heritage, and history, and particularly examines the impacts and outcomes of British colonisation on people in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. She maintains connections to the heritage management sector, particularly through the synthesis of archaeological legacy collections from across colonial Australia.

This talk is part of Unearthed 2026, a series of programs recognising the contributions of archaeology to our knowledge and understanding of Australian convict heritage hosted by Port Arthur Historic Site. Find details for all four talks here.

When: 12.30-1.30pm AEST, Thursday 7 May 2026

Where: Online (via Teams)

Registration: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/445b8c6e-d225-4822-9883-d95735315718@f8518a28-b2e6-4c41-8f1e-bff24bcf0121

Image: Foundation trenches for an incomplete barracks building at Point Puer / Image courtesy: Caiti D’Gluyas