Damon Mcknight
Between 1832 and 1850, around 127,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 70% of all immigrants in that period. The British and Australian governments wanted to increase the number of free settlers travelling to Australia, so they introduced assisted migration schemes to encourage people to make the journey. These schemes were successful, and by the 1850s, after gold was discovered, around 230,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 50% of all migrants. Most free settlers were quite prosperous and paid their way to Australia, but some received assistance from the government in the form of transportation costs, free land, agricultural tools, and convict labour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time period | Between 1832 and 1850 |
| Number of assisted migrants | 127,000 |
| Percentage of all immigrants | 70% |
| Time period | 1850s |
| Number of assisted migrants | 230,000 |
| Percentage of all migrants | 50% |
| Time period | 1821 to 1850 |
| Number of immigrants from the United Kingdom | 200,000 |
| Percentage of migrants receiving assistance | Two-thirds |
| Year | 1839 |
| Example of assisted migrants | Henry Parkes and his wife, Clarinda |
| Year | 1945 |
| Scheme introduced | Assisted Passage Migration Scheme |
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What You'll Learn
- The British government paid transportation costs for migrants in the 1800s
- Free settlers included doctors, lawyers, tradespeople, and clergy
- The Australian colonies needed labourers, especially inland
- The number of free settlers grew, and they demanded representative government
- Free settlers built houses using the wattle and daub technique
The British government paid transportation costs for migrants in the 1800s
In the early 1800s, the first free settlers in Australia paid their own way, meaning they were usually quite prosperous. However, the British colonial government wanted to encourage free settlement among the less wealthy, so they began to pay the transportation costs for many migrants. This was also done to reduce the number of convicts in the workforce, who were seen as a bad moral influence. The offer appealed to those suffering from unemployment and poverty in Britain as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
The journey to Australia was long and expensive, and the Australian colonial government decided that paying for the tickets of eligible applicants was the best way to encourage migration. The British government was also motivated by the fear that its population was growing faster than its resources, and that the dissatisfied working classes might cause social disorder.
In the early 1830s, migrants were given an assisted passage, but they incurred a debt that they had to repay over time as they found work. By the late 1830s, the colonial governments started to provide free passage to migrants without expecting them to repay the debt. Between 1832 and 1850, around 127,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 70% of all immigrants in that period. Assisted migration continued on an even larger scale after the discovery of gold in 1851. In the 1850s, around 230,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 50% of all migrants. Most came from the United Kingdom (including Ireland), though there were smaller groups from other countries such as Germany.
The assisted migration schemes were very successful, and the colonies became less dependent on convict labour. The schemes continued for the rest of the 1800s and played a significant role in increasing the European population in Australia.
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Free settlers included doctors, lawyers, tradespeople, and clergy
The early colonial years of Australia were dominated by convict settlers, with free settlers constituting a small minority. The first free settlers were typically quite prosperous, as they paid their own way to Australia. However, the British colonial government began to encourage free settlement among the less wealthy in the early 1800s by providing transportation costs, free land, agricultural tools, and convict labour. This appeal targeted those suffering from unemployment and poverty in Britain due to the Industrial Revolution.
Among these free settlers were doctors, lawyers, tradespeople, and clergy. The medical field in colonial Australia was a mix of qualified and unqualified practitioners, with some doctors being convicts themselves. D'Arcy Wentworth, a free settler and assistant surgeon, played a crucial role in establishing the new Sydney hospital in 1816. William Redfern, a convict and surgeon, became Australia's first locally qualified doctor.
Trades such as carpentry and blacksmithing were highly valued in building the colony, and free settlers with these skills were important contributors. The colony also relied on the presence of lawyers, with the early governors depending on them for various professions.
The Church of England was the dominant religious institution in the early years, with its clergy working closely with the governors. Richard Johnson, the chief chaplain from 1788 to 1802, was tasked with improving "public morality" and was involved in health and education. The Anglican Church received state support, and its clergy played a role in enhancing stability and moral authority in the colony.
The free settlers, along with convicts and ex-convicts, contributed to the unique social structure of the colonies and the development of a diverse economy. They faced numerous challenges, including interactions with Indigenous populations, harsh environments, and the establishment of a new society from scratch.
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The Australian colonies needed labourers, especially inland
The first free settlers paid their own way to Australia, meaning they were typically quite prosperous. To encourage free settlement among the less wealthy, the British colonial government began to pay the transportation costs for many migrants in the early 1800s. The Swan River Colony in Western Australia was founded as a free settlement in 1829. It was renamed Western Australia in 1832. The colony struggled, and by the 1840s, the colonists needed additional workers to keep the settlement viable.
From 1831, the colonies replaced land grants with land sales by auction at a fixed minimum price per acre, with the proceeds being used to fund the assisted migration of workers. From 1821 to 1850, Australia attracted 200,000 immigrants from the United Kingdom. Although most immigrants settled in towns, many were attracted to the high wages and business opportunities available in rural areas. The system of land grants, and later land sales, led to the concentration of land in the hands of a small number of affluent settlers. Two-thirds of the migrants to Australia during this period received assistance from the British or colonial governments. Healthy young workers without dependents were favoured for assisted migration, especially those with experience as agricultural labourers or domestic workers.
Between 1832 and 1850, around 127,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 70% of all immigrants in that period. In the 1850s, after gold was discovered, around 230,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 50% of all migrants. Most came from the United Kingdom (including Ireland). Assisted migration continued for the rest of the 1800s and was an important factor in increasing the European population in Australia.
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The number of free settlers grew, and they demanded representative government
The early free settlers in Australia were typically wealthy and paid their own way to migrate to the country. However, the British colonial government began to pay the transportation costs for many migrants in the early 1800s to encourage free settlement among the less wealthy. Free settlers also received free land on the condition that it was used for productive purposes, as well as free agricultural tools and convict labour.
The number of free settlers in Australia grew significantly in the 1800s, with around 127,000 assisted migrants arriving in Australia between 1832 and 1850, making up about 70% of all immigrants during that period. In the 1850s, after gold was discovered, around 230,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, constituting about 50% of all migrants. Most of these migrants came from the United Kingdom, including Ireland. This influx of free settlers contributed to the development of colonial Australia. They brought valuable skills in trades such as carpentry and blacksmithing, and some worked in professions like medicine, law, and clergy.
As the number of free settlers increased, they began to demand representative government and democratic reforms. The growing population of free settlers, along with former convicts and Australian-born individuals, led to calls for more political representation. Public meetings in Adelaide in 1844, the formation of the Constitutional Association in Sydney in 1848, and the emergence of the Anti-Transportation League in Van Diemen's Land in 1849 all advocated for more representative government. The expansion of European settlements into Aboriginal territory also resulted in violent clashes and massacres, with a significant loss of life on both sides.
The British government's practice of shipping convicts to Australia, known as transportation, faced increasing criticism from both the British public and Australian colonists in the 1830s and 1840s. Penal transportation to New South Wales ended in 1840, and a semi-elected Legislative Council was established in 1842. In 1850, the British government passed the Australian Colonies Government Act, granting semi-representative Legislative Councils to Van Diemen's Land, South Australia, and the newly created colony of Victoria. These developments marked a shift towards representative government in Australia, influenced by the growing number and influence of free settlers in the colonies.
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Free settlers built houses using the wattle and daub technique
The early European settlers in Australia were a mix of convicts and free settlers. The convicts were sent by the British government, while the free settlers chose to leave their homes in Britain and make a new life in the colony. The first free settlers paid their way, so they were usually quite wealthy. However, to encourage less wealthy people to migrate, the British government began to pay transportation costs for many migrants in the early 1800s. This was also a way to alleviate the pressures of overpopulation and unemployment in Britain.
The free settlers built their houses using a technique called wattle and daub. Wattle and daub is a building method that has been used since the Neolithic period. It was common in middle Europe, Western Asia, North America, and South America. Wattle and daub houses were constructed by putting wooden stakes into the ground and weaving branches between them to make walls. The walls were then smeared with a mixture of clay, lime, chalk dust, limestone dust, mud, sand, crushed chalk, or crushed stone, and reinforced with straw, hair, hay, or other fibrous materials. Wattle and daub houses usually had two rooms, one with a fireplace and chimney. The houses of wealthy landowners and government officials were larger and more elaborate, typically made from sandstone or brick.
Acacia trees were the most common source of branches for wattle and daub houses because of their flexibility. This led to Australian acacias being called wattles. Wattle and daub construction was used in the earliest days of the colony at Sydney Cove and Parramatta. Wattle and daub houses were also constructed at Rose Hill, where Governor Phillip sent convicts to begin farming in 1788. As the settlement expanded, a town plan was laid out by Surveyor Augustus Alt, with huts to be built of wattle and daub and thatched with roofs. Wattle and daub construction was also used for the first church built in Sydney by Reverend Richard Johnson.
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Frequently asked questions
The early 1800s saw an influx of free settlers to Australia, with the British colonial government offering free land and transportation costs to encourage migration. While the exact number of free settlers during this period is not readily available, it is known that Australia attracted wealthy free settlers who sought opportunities in the new land.
Various factors attracted free settlers to Australia. The British government wanted to alleviate overpopulation and unemployment, while migrants sought new opportunities in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. Free land grants, agricultural tools, and convict labour were also incentives provided by the government to encourage migration.
Yes, the number of free settlers in Australia grew over the 19th century. From 1832 to 1850, around 127,000 assisted migrants arrived, and in the 1850s, about 230,000 came, attracted by the discovery of gold. By 1850, all of Australia's settlers were free, marking the end of convict transportation to the continent.
Free settlers in Australia faced challenges, including conflicts with Aboriginal peoples as settlements expanded into their territories. This resulted in violent clashes and massacres, with a significant loss of life on both sides. Additionally, the harsh and dry climate made colonisation difficult, particularly in remote areas like Queensland's Moreton Bay district.
Free settlers in Australia included tradespeople such as carpenters and blacksmiths, as well as professionals like doctors, lawyers, and clergy. Women played important roles, with married women managing households and single women working as servants or tutors. Some women also worked alongside men in the hard labour necessary for building the colony.
