THE SNAKE CIRCLE
The scandalous life of convict Sir Henry Browne Hayes
Christine Maher
Paperback, 364 pages, $39.95
Release date: May 2026
ISBN: 9781923568204
In the early days of colonial Australia, where survival demanded resilience and ambition, Sir Henry Browne Hayes stood out as a man of contradictions. A knighted sheriff from Cork, Ireland, turned notorious convict, Hayes led a scandalous life that defied expectations. Arrested for the audacious crime of abducting a wealthy Quaker heiress on a dare, Hayes was transported to New South Wales, where his aristocratic background and flair for theatrics turned him into an infamous figure.
Hayes' time in Australia was marked by rebellion, intrigue, and a flair for defiance. He played a controversial role in major historical events, including the Castle Hill convict uprising and the Rum Rebellion, cementing his legacy as both an instigator and a survivor of colonial chaos. Despite numerous arrests and exiles to notorious convict outposts like Norfolk Island and Van Diemen's Land, Hayes managed to carve out an unusual existence.
With newly uncovered details, The Snake Circle offers the definitive biography of this captivating figure. From his infamous snake-infested sly-grog operation at the original Vaucluse House to the shadow he cast over Australia’s early convict history, this is the untold story of a man who turned scandal into legend.
Christine Maher is a Petherick reader at the National Library of Australia with specialist knowledge of convict and early colonial history. She has given presentations on these subjects to institutions such as the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the Historic Houses Trust, etc. Her biography Richard Brooks: from convict ship captain to pillar of early colonial Australia was published by Rosenberg Publishing in 2016.
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