The Apprenticeship Act 1844 [2/1844 (8 Vic. No.2)], also known as ‘An Act to regulate and amend the Law of Orphan and other Apprentices in the Colony of New South Wales’, increased penalties on child ‘apprentices’ who ‘absconded’, including prison terms. It also increased penalties on masters and employers who mistreated or abandoned children. This Act was repealed by the Apprentices Act 1894.