<p>In 1829, convicts aboard the brig <em>Cyprus</em> seized their chance at freedom, launching one of the most audacious escapes in Australian history. Led by experienced mariner William Swallow, the mutineers sailed a stolen ship across the Pacific, abandoning soldiers, women, and children on a remote shore.</p><p>Chased by hunger, betrayal, and the long reach of British law, the fugitives crossed oceans under stolen names - dodging cannon fire off the coast of Japan before their flight ended not in freedom, but in courtrooms, confessions, and the shadow of the gallows.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>SOURCES</strong></p><p><br /></p><p>1829 'PIRATICAL SEIZURE OF The Government Brig Cyprus,', <em>Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. :1828 - 1857)</em>, 4 September, p. 3. , viewed 08 Jan 2023, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8644472" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8644472</a></p><p><br /></p><p>1829 'THE MAKING OF THE CORACLE,', <em>The Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839)</em>, 12 September, p. 3. , viewed 05 Feb 2023, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4213841" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4213841</a></p><p><br /></p><p>1830 'ENGLISH INTELIGENCE.', <em>Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857)</em>, 24 September, p. 4. , viewed 19 Jan 2023, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8645373" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8645373</a></p><p><br /></p><p>1830 ‘UNION HALL. INTERESTING STORY’, <em>Essex, Herts and Kent Mercury</em>, 18 May, p.3., viewed 12 May 2024.</p><p><br /></p><p>1830 ‘THE MUTINY AND SEIZURE OF THE BRIG CYPRUS, CONFESSIONS OF THE RINGLEADER’, <em>The Times</em>, 18 October, p3., viewed 28 October 2025.</p><p><br /></p><p>1830 ‘ADMIRALTY SESSIONS, Thursday, Nov 4. Piracy on Board the Brig Cyrus’, <em>The Times</em>, 5 November, p4., viewed 26 November 2025. </p><p><br /></p><p>Hirst, W. (2008) <em>The Man who Stole the Cyprus, a truestory of escape</em>. NSW: Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>LINKS</strong></p><p><br /></p><p>Get your copy of <strong>Convict Australia,</strong><em> </em><strong>Extraordinary true stories of shipwrecks, riots, daring escapes and more. </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Australia-Extraordinary-stories-shipwrecks/dp/0648946819</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Get your copy of <strong>Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners.</strong><a href=" https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners-ebook/dp/B08C22QQMJ" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com.au/Convict-Sydney-real-life-stories-prisoners-ebook/dp/B08C22QQMJ</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Support <strong>Convict Australia</strong> and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter:</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia?fbclid=IwAR20AHUPtxSEW0HONdIWOmrAgY8YjXAHM3S1OCJtbpqwM2cT46a7aZW2t0Q" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Join the conversation on our <strong>Facebook</strong> &amp;<strong> Instagram</strong> pages:</p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en⁠⁠</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Find <strong>Convict Australia</strong> on <strong>TikTok</strong>:</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tiktok.com/@convict.australia</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>