Lyla Lindsey
Between 1850 and 1868, Western Australia was a penal colony of the British Empire. During this period, 9,721 convicts were transported to Western Australia on 43 convict ship voyages. The last convict ship, the Hougoumont, arrived in the Swan River Colony on 10 January 1868 with 229 convicts aboard, marking the end of 80 years of penal transportation to Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of convicts sent to Western Australia | 9,668-9,925 |
| Number of convicts on the last convict ship to Western Australia | 229-269 |
| Year the last convict ship arrived in Western Australia | 1868 |
| Number of convict ships to Western Australia | 43 |
| Number of convicts per ship | 229-269 |
| Total number of convicts in Western Australia at the time of the last convict ship's arrival | 3,158 |
| Number of convicts who were local prisoners | 500 |
| Year transportation of convicts to Western Australia began | 1850 |
| Year Western Australia became a penal colony | 1849 |
| Number of convicts who were juvenile offenders | 75 |
| Year transportation of convicts to Western Australia ceased | 1868 |
| Total number of convicts transported to Australia between 1788 and 1868 | 162,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Western Australia's convict era
The decision to convert Western Australia into a penal colony was not without controversy. The Swan River Colony was established as a free settlement in 1829, and its settlers were generally opposed to the idea of accepting convicts. However, the economic depression of the 1840s hit the colony hard, and a small group of pastoralists associated with the York Agricultural Society began to lobby for transportation, arguing that it would provide a free source of labour. In 1849, the British government authorised the conversion of Western Australia into a penal colony, and the first convicts arrived the following year.
The arrival of the convicts had a significant economic impact on the struggling colony. In addition to constructing essential infrastructure, convict labour was also used to build heritage sites such as the Fremantle Prison and the Fremantle Arts Centre (formerly the lunatic asylum). Despite the benefits of convict labour, opposition to transportation continued to grow in the eastern colonies, and in 1850, the Australasian Anti-Transportation League was formed to lobby for the permanent cessation of transportation.
In 1868, transportation to Western Australia ceased as a result of a reassessment of British home policy. The last convict ship to Australia, the Hougoumont, arrived in the Swan River Colony on 10 January 1868 with 229 convicts aboard, though some sources state the number of convicts was 269. At the time of the Hougoumont's arrival, 3,158 convicts remained under government control in Western Australia. Convict labour continued to be used for some time after the end of transportation, relying on local prisoners and those convicts yet to serve the remainder of their sentences.
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The number of convicts transported
The decision to send convicts to Western Australia was influenced by fears that France would lay claim to the land. The Governor of New South Wales, Ralph Darling, sent Major Edmund Lockyer, with troops and 23 convicts, to establish a settlement at King George Sound. A convict presence was maintained at the settlement until 1831, when control was transferred to the Swan River Colony, and the troops and convicts were withdrawn.
The Swan River Colony was established as a "free settlement" in 1829, and the colonists were generally opposed to accepting convicts. However, due to economic difficulties and lobbying by the York Agricultural Society, Western Australia was converted to a penal colony in 1849. The first 75 convicts arrived in Fremantle on 1 June 1850, and between 1850 and 1868, over 9,500 convicts were transported to Western Australia.
The last convict ship to Western Australia was the Hougoumont, which arrived in the Swan River Colony on 10 January 1868 with 229 convicts aboard. At that time, 3,158 convicts remained under government control in Western Australia. The end of convict transportation to Western Australia marked the conclusion of 80 years of penal transportation to Australia, during which over 162,000 convicts were transported.
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The end of convict transportation
Over time, however, the convict system came under increasing scrutiny and criticism. Protests against the system intensified in the 1830s, with many Australians arguing that it was wrong to transport people across the world and force them to work, especially for minor crimes. In 1837, the British Government launched an inquiry into penal transportation, led by Sir William Molesworth, who concluded that transportation was unfair and ineffective at reducing crime. As a result, transportation to New South Wales was halted in 1840.
Despite this, the economic depression of the 1840s hit the small Swan River colony hard, and some settlers argued that convicts could be used as a source of free labour. In 1849, Western Australia was officially converted into a penal colony, and the first convicts arrived the following year. Over the next two decades, convict labour played a significant role in the colony's economy, constructing essential infrastructure and many of Western Australia's heritage sites.
However, opposition to transportation persisted, and in 1850, the Australasian Anti-Transportation League was formed to lobby for its permanent cessation. Finally, in 1865, the British government informed the colony that transportation would cease after the arrival of one convict ship per year for the next three years. True to their word, the British sent the last convict ship, the Hougoumont, in 1867, and it arrived in Western Australia on 10 January 1868, bringing an end to over 80 years of continuous penal transportation to Australia.
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Convict labour
The use of convict labour in Western Australia began with the arrival of the first convicts in 1850. These convicts, primarily adult males, were transported from Britain and put to work on essential infrastructure projects. Over the next two decades, convict labour played a crucial role in shaping the region's landscape and economy. They constructed roads, such as the road from Albany to Perth, and built bridges like the Fremantle Bridge, connecting Fremantle to the road to Perth.
The selection of convicts for transportation to Western Australia was based on specific conditions requested by the colony. Initially, convicts with less serious crimes were chosen, but over time, more serious offenders were also sent to the region. The majority of convicts transported were petty thieves, as theft accounted for 80% of transportee crimes. Approximately one in seven convicts was female, and political prisoners without criminal convictions were also among those transported.
The use of convict labour in Western Australia continued even after the cessation of transportation in 1868. Local prisoners and convicts serving the remainder of their sentences were utilised for labour. The impact of convict labour extended beyond the physical structures they built, as many ex-convicts remained in Australia, joining the free settlers and contributing to the social and cultural fabric of the nation.
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Convict transportation to other colonies
The Transportation Act of 1717 simplified and legitimised the process, specifying that convicts guilty of capital crimes but commuted by the king would receive 14 years of transportation, while those convicted of non-capital offences could receive seven years. The process of transporting convicts was a thriving business, with British businessmen obtaining contracts for transportation and selling the labour of convicts in the colonies.
However, the American colonies increasingly resisted the importation of convicts, with Virginia and other colonies passing laws to prevent or restrict the practice. Despite this resistance, the transportation of convicts to America continued until 1776 when it was temporarily suspended by the Criminal Law Act. During this period, England transported approximately 50,000 to 120,000 convicts, political prisoners, and prisoners of war to the American colonies.
After the suspension of transportation to America, Britain began to explore alternative destinations, such as Africa and the Caribbean. Eventually, in 1787, transportation resumed to the Australian colonies, with the first convicts arriving in New South Wales in 1788. The establishment of penal colonies in Australia provided Britain with a new outlet for excess population and a means of offloading convicts during a period of rapid population growth and social instability.
While Western Australia became a penal colony in 1849, transportation to other Australian colonies, such as Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania, also occurred. The last convict ship to Australia, the Hougoumont, arrived in Western Australia in 1868, marking the end of convict transportation to the continent.
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Frequently asked questions
Between 1850 and 1868, 9,721 convicts were transported to Western Australia on 43 convict ships. However, some sources state the number to be 9,668 or 9,925.
The last convict ship to Western Australia, the Hougoumont, arrived in the Swan River Colony on 10 January 1868 with 229 convicts aboard. However, some sources state the number of convicts to be 269.
The first convict ship to Western Australia, the Scindian, arrived on 1 June 1850 with 75 male convicts aboard.
