Fremantle Prison > Records
WEIGHT
c. 1800 - 1855Overview
Large, heavy, rectangular, iron weight. Weighing 56 pounds or 25 kilograms, this weight consists of a solid cube of metal in a rectangular shape, with a large, circular, metal ring attached to the top. Stamped into the surface on one side of the weight, and painted in white, is '56/ BO' with a broad arrow underneath.
Historical information
Provenanced to Fremantle Prison. It is unclear whether this weight was for punishment or weighing grain.
This square weight is marked with a broad arrow symbol and the letters 'B O', which stands for 'Board of Ordnance'. This was inscribed, along with the broad arrow, on British Government property, including convict clothing and equipment, from circa 1800 until 1855.
Details
Details
Registration number
cwa-org-89-1999.858.1
Item type
Objects
Material
Metal
Weight
25 kg
Inscriptions and markings
'56/BO/[broad arrow]'
Year
Statement of significance
Primary significance criteria
Artistic or aesthetic significance
Historic significance
Scientific or research significance
Social or spiritual significance
Comparative significance criteria
Interpretive capacity
Object’s condition or completeness
Rare or representative
Well provenanced
Last modified
Wednesday, 25 February, 2026
Completeness
