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Between 1788 and 1868, the British government shipped about 164,000 convicts to various Australian colonies. The First Fleet, a group of 11 ships, set sail from Portsmouth, England, in May 1787, carrying around 1,000 convicts, soldiers, sailors, and free people. The British government believed that Australia would be an ideal place to send convicts because of its distance from Britain and more favourable climate. The establishment of the penal colony marked the beginning of British settlement in Australia, with convicts forced to work on farms and construction projects. The penal transportation system reached its peak in the 1830s, with the last convict ship arriving in Western Australia in 1868.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for shipping criminals to Australia | To relieve overcrowding of British prisons and hulks |
| Date of first fleet | 13th May 1787 |
| Number of ships in the first fleet | 11 |
| Number of convicts in the first fleet | 700-1000 |
| Number of soldiers in the first fleet | 200 |
| Number of sailors in the first fleet | 30 |
| Number of convicts transported to Australia | 160,000-164,000 |
| Number of ships used for transportation | 806 |
| Composition of convicts | English and Welsh (70%), Irish (24%), Scottish (5%), and the remaining 1% from the British outposts in India and Canada, Maoris from New Zealand, Chinese from Hong Kong, and slaves from the Caribbean |
| Crimes committed | Theft, assault, robbery, fraud, rape, murder |
| Sentence | 7 years, 14 years, or life |
| Year transportation ended | 1868 |
| Last convict ship | Hougoumont |
| Year of last convict ship | 1867 |
| Date of arrival of last convict ship | 10 January 1868 |
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What You'll Learn
The First Fleet of 11 convict ships
The British government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 18th century. However, this came to an end with the American War of Independence, which concluded British rule in North America. Prisons began to fill up, and the old prison ships, known as hulks, were unable to accommodate the overflow. On 6th December 1785, it was decided that Australia would be the most suitable location for the next penal colony.
The First Fleet, a group of 11 ships, set sail from Portsmouth, England, on 13 May 1787. The fleet was under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip and consisted of around 700 convicts, 200 soldiers, 30 sailors, and their families. Most of the convicts were sentenced to seven years, but some were given life sentences. While transportation was seen as a more humane alternative to execution, many convicts suffered terrible conditions during the voyage. Around 48 people died during the voyage, and many more would have suffered from illness and cramped conditions.
The First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788, but Governor Arthur Phillip rejected the site, choosing Port Jackson to the north as the new site for the colony. They arrived at Port Jackson on 26 January 1788, establishing the colony of New South Wales, the first British settlement in Australia. The voyage covered over 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) and took 250 days.
The penal colony marked the beginning of British settlement in Australia, but the first years were very difficult for the colonists, who faced harsh conditions. The colony also had a dramatic impact on the Indigenous peoples, including the introduction of diseases, loss of cultural heritage, social disruption, and the dispossession of their land and resources.
The transportation of convicts to Australia continued until 1868, with around 160,000 convicts transported during this period. The last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia was the Hougoumont, which landed on 10 January 1868.
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Penal colonies and their impact on Indigenous peoples
The British government began sending convicts to America in the early 18th century. However, this practice ended with the American War of Independence, which resulted in the loss of British rule in North America. Consequently, the British needed to find an alternative location to send their convicts, and so they turned to Australia.
The establishment of the penal colony in Australia marked the beginning of British settlement in the region and had a profound and devastating impact on the Indigenous peoples who had lived there for 60,000 years. The Indigenous peoples in the area resisted the arrival of the British, but any land given to a convict meant that the traditional owners were no longer permitted to occupy it. This led to clashes between the two groups, which escalated into significant conflicts as European settlers expanded their control over the land.
The Indigenous peoples also faced severe racism, segregation, and relocation from their homelands. They were introduced to foreign diseases, experienced loss of cultural heritage, and suffered the dispossession of their land and resources. The British system of law and governance often failed to recognise the legal rights of the Indigenous peoples to their land. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people alive today have experienced being forcibly removed from their parents, being barred from towns and schools, and other forms of ongoing isolation.
The penal colony also contributed to the rapid expansion of the colony. As the colony grew, more free settlers arrived from Britain, bringing their families, farmers, labourers, and businesses. This further exacerbated the conflict with the Indigenous peoples and led to the dispossession of their land.
In addition to the human toll, the penal colony also had ecological consequences. The introduction of foreign diseases and the displacement of Indigenous land management practices likely had significant impacts on the local ecosystem. The establishment of European settlements and the introduction of new farming methods also altered the landscape and local biodiversity.
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Overcrowding in British prisons
During this period, Britain experienced industrialisation and urbanisation, which resulted in overcrowding in cities and high unemployment. As a result, many people resorted to theft and other crimes to survive. Minor crimes, such as stealing items worth more than 1 shilling or cutting down trees in orchards, were punishable by transportation. With the increase in crime, prisons and prison ships, known as hulks, became overcrowded. These hulks were decommissioned Royal Navy vessels docked in rivers and ports across southern England, and the conditions on board were terrible, with inmates lacking space to even stand up.
The American War of Independence ended British rule in North America, and the transportation of convicts to American colonies ceased. This created a crisis in Britain, as prisons and hulks were already overcrowded. As a solution, the British government decided to establish penal colonies in Australia, which had been claimed for Britain by James Cook in 1770.
The First Fleet of 11 ships left England in 1787, carrying around 1,000 convicts, soldiers, sailors, and free people. These convicts were sentenced to seven years, fourteen years, or life, despite committing generally low-grade crimes. The transportation of convicts to Australia continued until 1868, with around 164,000 convicts transported during this period.
The establishment of penal colonies in Australia aimed to relieve prison overcrowding in Britain and provide a remote location for housing criminals. However, the conditions on the transport ships were often appalling, with convicts suffering from cramped and unhygienic conditions. Many convicts died during the journey, primarily from illnesses such as cholera.
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Convict labour in Australia
The British government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 18th century. However, after the American War of Independence put an end to British rule in North America, the Americans refused further convict transportations. As a result, Britain needed to find an alternative destination, and in 1785, it was decided that Australia would be the most suitable location for the next penal colony.
The First Fleet of 11 ships left Portsmouth, England, in May 1787, carrying around 1,000 convicts, as well as soldiers, sailors, and free people. The fleet arrived at Sydney Cove on January 20, 1788, marking the beginning of the British settlement in Australia and the country's modern founding. The colony also had significant impacts on the Indigenous peoples, including the introduction of diseases, loss of cultural heritage, social disruption, and the dispossession of their land.
The convicts transported to Australia had committed a range of crimes, from theft and assault to more serious offences like rape and murder. Many of them received harsh sentences for minor misdemeanours and endured terrible conditions during the voyage, with limited space and poor hygiene leading to the spread of illnesses such as cholera. During the transportation period, nearly 2,000 convicts died en route to Australia.
In Australia, the convicts were put to work, performing various forms of penal labour, including involuntary servitude, penal servitude, and imprisonment with hard labour. This labour was often manual and could be light or hard, depending on the context. Some convicts worked on creating infrastructure for the convict system itself, such as building the Convict Establishment in Fremantle. Others worked on public infrastructure projects, such as improving roads and constructing buildings.
The transportation of convicts to Australia continued until 1868, with around 160,000 to 170,000 convicts transported during this period. The last convict ship, the Hougoumont, arrived in Western Australia on January 10, 1868, bringing an end to the convict era in Australia. Today, the convict era is recognised as a significant part of Australia's history and has inspired many cultural works. It is estimated that approximately four million Australians are related to convicts transported from the British Isles to Australia.
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The end of convict transportation to Australia
The transportation of convicts to Australia continued until 1868, almost a century after it began. The British government had been sending convicts to America since the early 1700s, but this came to an end with the American War of Independence. As a result, Britain needed to find a new place to send its convicts, and in 1785, it decided that Australia would be the most suitable location for a new penal colony.
The First Fleet of 11 ships left England in May 1787, arriving at Botany Bay in January 1788, marking the beginning of the British settlement in Australia. Over the next 80 years, about 160,000 convicts were transported to Australia, with the peak of transportation occurring in the 1830s. The majority of these convicts were English and Welsh, with smaller numbers of Irish, Scottish, and individuals from other British outposts and colonies.
The impact of convict transportation on Australia was significant, with about 40% of the English-speaking population at the time having arrived as convicts. The labour of these individuals helped shape the young colony, and many stayed on as successful settlers, contributing to the creation of a new nation known for its law-abiding citizens and low crime rate. However, the establishment of the penal colony also had devastating consequences for Indigenous peoples, including the introduction of diseases, loss of cultural heritage, social disruption, and dispossession of their land.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the British government transported convicts to Australia.
The British government began transporting convicts to Australia in 1787, with the First Fleet of 11 ships.
Prisons in Britain were becoming overcrowded, and the government needed colonists to settle the land in Australia.
Most transported convicts were sentenced for minor crimes such as theft, assault, robbery, and fraud. Fewer than 5% were transported for violent crimes. Some were also political prisoners.
The last convict ship to Australia, the Hougoumont, left Britain in 1867 and arrived in Western Australia on 10 January 1868.
