My 3rd G Uncle on a UK Prison hulk ship

[shume]

Australia, Victoria Coastal Passenger Lists, 1852-1924 (Familysearch.org)
I think this is your man.. his convict record has his occupation as Bricklayer and dob as 1810. So he has a trade and with the gold rush would have been in demand as Melbourne/Ballarat/Bendigo prospered.
John Drinkwater
Event Type:   
Emigration
Event Date:   
2 Sep 1852
Event Place:   
Victoria, Australia
Event Place (Original):   
Victoria, Australia
Gender:   
Male
Age:   
42
Occupation:   
Bricklayer
Birth Date:   
1810
Departure Port:   
Hobart
Arrival Date:   
1852
Arrival Year:   
1852
Arrival Port:   
Melbourne
Ship Name:   
Shamrock

[majm]

In most cases Convicts who had been freed may have  had a conditional pardon which meant they could not leave Australia. Many came to Victoria for the Gold rush (1851 to late 1860's) There is a project which makes interesting background reading for anyone who had a convict ancestor. (I worked on this project)
https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/VDL_Founders_and_Survivors_Convicts_1802-1853
I suspect your John Drinkwater did come for the gold but like many ( single) men, fell on hard times and was cared for at the Benevolent asylum

shume   australia

4

Hi,

I am quite sure that a Conditional Pardon was NOT restricting the holder to remain in  Australia.  In fact, I am quite sure that they were free to travel to for example California or China or South America or Africa.  I am also sure that a person sentenced in England to a sentence to be served 'beyond the seas"  when granted a Conditional Pardon would have been informed of its Conditions.  The most usual condition would be restricting their return to the country that convicted them. 

The NSW State Archives and the NSW State Library has excellent resources including original records for Convict research, including sections explaining the Abbreviations and their meanings. 

The Australian Joint Copying Project is now becoming available as a digitised freely available resource too.

JM.