
Marking the start of a new seven-part drama series called Banished, the latest issue of Discover Your Ancestors features an article by Laura Berry about the first fleet of convicts transported to Australia in 1788. The feature looks at what life was really like during the early years of the Sydney Cove penal colony governed by Captain Arthur Phillip. Discover Your Ancestors is a monthly digital periodical sponsored by TheGenealogist.co.uk and can be downloaded as a PDF for £2.49 from www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk/current-issue/. Inside the March 2015 issue you'll also find features on the history of gardening, Griffith's Valuation of Irish property, English and Welsh tithe maps, the Marine Society, foundling institutions, horse-drawn transport and more. The first episode of Banished starts on BBC Two tonight at 9pm, and can be caught on catch-up via iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast.