The Snake Circle

‘A captivating tale of a convict ship captain’
‘Maher’s impressive biography…’
Professor Ross Fitzgerald

Convict, adventurer, reprobate and fortune hunter

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 Diemens 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.