Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke

For the Term of His Natural Life

"For the Term of His Natural Life" by Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke is a novel published in 1874. Set in early colonial Australia, it follows Rufus Dawes, a young British aristocrat wrongly convicted of murder and transported to a brutal penal colony. Based on Clarke's research and visits to Port Arthur, the story depicts the harsh realities of convict life through a series of dramatic events involving betrayal, attempted escapes, and unlikely survival. The novel vividly portrays the inhumane treatment of prisoners in Australia's convict era.