The Wollongong Gaol Entrance Books are very detailed in listing the crimes committed by their female prisoners. In modern terms, we would look upon these crimes as misdemeanours and most would certainly not incur gaol time. However for a lot of these women they received sentences that ranged from twenty four hours to two years! At a time when Wollongong's citizens were trying to develop a civilised and law abiding community, these 'crimes' were considered very serious indeed.

· Abusive and insulting words

· Assault

· Assaulting her child

· Assault Police

· Attempt to commit suicide

· Being under 16 and living with common prostitutes

· Common prostitute

· Concealing the birth of her child

· Cutting cedar with intent to sell

· Deemed a lunatic

· Default of sureties

· Destroying Constable’s jumper

· Discovered under circumstances denoting a purpose of committing some offence

· Disobeying a summons

· Drunk and disorderly

· Drunk and obscene language

· Drunk and unfit to give evidence

· Drunk and damaging property

· Drunkenness

· Feloniously wounding

· Habitual drunkard

· Having no visible means of support

· Having stolen property in her possession

· Idle and disorderly

· Illegally on premises

· Indecency

· Indecent behaviour

· Indecent language

· Insanity

· Keeping a bawdy house

· Larceny

· Making counterfeit coin

· Murdering her male infant

· Obscene language

· Obstruct footpath and riotous

· Obtaining goods by false pretence

· Perjury

· Possession of stolen property

· Resisting police

· Riotous behaviour

· Selling liquor without a license

· Steal from the person

· Stealing

· Stealing money

· Stealing a ring

· Stealing two cases

· Suspected person

· Threatening language

· Unlawfully wound

· Vagrancy

· Wandering and no place of abode

· Willfully expose her person

SRNSW: Entrance books Wollongong Gaol (1866-1898), NRS2590, (5/1628-29), SR Reel 2378.