Rajah Quilt

women on board the convict ship Rajah in 1841 / Public domain · resizedfile

The Rajah Quilt is a large quilt created by women convicts in 1841 whilst travelling on the convict ship Rajah from Woolwich, England, to Hobart, Australia. It was created using materials organised by Lydia Irving from the convict ship subcommittee of the British Ladies Society for Promoting the Reformation of Female Prisoners. It is thought that the project was organised and overseen by Kezia Hayter, a free woman travelling on the ship. The quilt was presented to Jane Franklin, the wife of Lieutenant-Governor John Franklin on arrival in Australia. The quilt was later sent back to Britain for Elizabeth Fry, the leader of the British Ladies Society. The quilt's provenance was then unclear until it was rediscovered in 1989. It is now held by the National Gallery of Australia.

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