Damon Mcknight
The colonisation of Australia by white Europeans is a dark chapter in the history of Britain's empire-building. It involved the mass exile of approximately 160,000 criminals to Australia, alongside invasion, dispossession, coerced labour, and genocide of the Indigenous population. The arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 marked a turning point, bringing around 1,300-1,400 convicts, soldiers, and settlers to Gadigal Country, initiating profound changes to the land and its peoples. Over the next 100 years, the British established six self-governing colonies, occupying more land and expanding their settlements, which eventually claimed the entire continent and Tasmania.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of colonisation | 1788 |
| Number of colonists in the First Fleet | 1,300-1,400 |
| Number of convicts transported to Australia | 160,000-162,000 |
| Number of Aboriginal people in the Sydney region before colonisation | 3,000 |
| Number of First Nations groups before colonisation | 500 |
| Total number of First Nations people before colonisation | 750,000 |
| Number of South Sea Islanders transported to Queensland in 1863 | 67 |
| Number of people deported from Australia in 1901 | 62,000 |
| Australia's population by 2021 | 25.5 million |
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What You'll Learn
- The First Fleet brought ~1,300-1,400 colonists to Australia in 1788
- By 1833, ~162,000 prisoners had been transported to Australia
- The Aboriginal population was ~750,000 before colonisation
- The Aboriginal population of Sydney was halved by a smallpox outbreak in 1789
- The six British colonies united in a federation in 1901
The First Fleet brought ~1,300-1,400 colonists to Australia in 1788
The First Fleet, comprising eleven ships, brought around 1,300-1,400 people to Australia in 1788, marking the beginning of the European colonisation of the continent. The fleet included two Royal Navy vessels, three storeships, and six convict transports. It departed from Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787, and arrived at Botany Bay on January 18, 1788, after a journey of over 24,000 kilometres and 250 days.
The exact number of people associated with the First Fleet is uncertain, as different accounts provide slightly varying figures. However, it is estimated that there were about 1,400 convicts, marines, sailors, colonial officials, and free settlers on board. Governor Arthur Phillip, the first governor of New South Wales, led the fleet and chose Port Jackson as the site for the new colony, which they established on January 26, 1788, naming it Sydney Cove.
The arrival of the First Fleet had a profound impact on the Indigenous people of Australia, particularly the Eora people, the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land in the Sydney region. The founding of the colony initiated waves of convict transportation that continued until 1868. The relative isolation of the Indigenous population for thousands of years left them vulnerable to introduced diseases. An outbreak of smallpox in 1789, for example, killed about half of the Aboriginal population in the Sydney region.
The early years of the colony were challenging, with food shortages and failed crops, and difficulties in establishing harmonious relations with the local Aboriginal people. Despite these obstacles, the colony endured, and by the late 1880s, a majority of people living in the Australian colonies were native-born, although of predominantly British and Irish heritage.
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![Australia ; a Popular Account ... : with the History of Its Colonization, Etc. 1865 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617DLHXyzlL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
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By 1833, ~162,000 prisoners had been transported to Australia
The transportation of convicts to Australia began in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove, carrying about 1,300 colonists. At this time, the Aboriginal population of the Sydney region is estimated to have been about 3,000 people. Between 1788 and 1868, more than 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia, with approximately 7,000 arriving in 1833 alone. This was the peak year for convict transportation to Australia, and by this time, public support for the system was already waning.
The convicts were transported as punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland, with about 80% of women convicted of theft, usually petty. The Industrial Revolution had displaced much of the working class, leading to an increase in petty crime. Prisons in Britain were overcrowded, and the government sought alternative solutions. Transportation was seen as a more humane punishment than execution, which was a sentence for many minor offences at the time.
The lives of convicts in Australia were hard as they helped build the young colony. They lived under strict rules, and any infractions could result in harsh punishments. However, the majority of convicts stayed on in Australia after serving their sentences, contributing to the development of the country. By the 1880s, a majority of people living in the Australian colonies were native-born, with over 90% of British and Irish heritage.
The transportation of convicts to Australia ended in 1868, with the phasing out of this practice from 1840 onwards. Autonomous parliamentary democracies began to emerge in the British colonies from the mid-19th century, and in 1901, the colonies united to form modern Australia.
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The Aboriginal population was ~750,000 before colonisation
The Aboriginal population of Australia before colonisation is estimated to have been around 750,000 people. This population was made up of more than 500 First Nations groups, each with their own distinct culture and language. These groups had lived in Australia for at least 50,000 years, making them the custodians of the world's oldest living culture.
The Aboriginal people of Australia had a rich and diverse history before colonisation. They lived in close relationship with the land and had custodianship of their country. They had developed a deep cultural connection with the land, adapting to and thriving in the harsh Australian landscape.
However, the colonisation of Australia had a devastating impact on the Aboriginal population. Diseases introduced by European settlers, such as smallpox, caused a population collapse. The relative isolation of the Indigenous population meant that they had little resistance to these new diseases. An outbreak of smallpox in 1789 killed about half of the Aboriginal population in the Sydney region.
In addition to diseases, massacres, frontier armed conflicts, and competition over resources with European settlers also contributed to the decline of the Aboriginal population. The colonisation process has been classified by numerous scholars as genocide against Indigenous Australians. By 1900, the recorded Indigenous population of Australia had declined to approximately 93,000.
It is important to note that the Aboriginal population of Australia has recovered since colonisation. In 2021, 812,728 people self-identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the Australian Census, representing 3.2% of the total population of Australia.
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The Aboriginal population of Sydney was halved by a smallpox outbreak in 1789
The colonisation of Australia by the British began in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet carrying about 1,300 colonists and convicts. The Aboriginal population of the Sydney region at the time is estimated to have been about 3,000 people. The Aboriginal people of Australia had lived in relative isolation for some 60,000 years, and as a result, had little to no resistance to many introduced diseases.
In April 1789, 15 months after the First Fleet's arrival, a major smallpox epidemic broke out. The outbreak did not affect the British colonists, most of whom had been exposed to the disease during their infancy and had developed some resistance. However, the local Aboriginal population had no such immunity. The impact of smallpox on the Aboriginal people was devastating, killing perhaps half of them, while sparing the British.
There is still debate over how smallpox broke out in the Sydney area in 1789. Some researchers contend that it originated from contact with Indonesian or Makasar fishermen in the far north, while others argue that it was brought to Australia by the First Fleet. Surgeon John White, who was part of the First Fleet, is known to have brought 'variolas matter'—pus taken from a recovering smallpox patient—with him, intending to use it to vaccinate children in the settlement.
The smallpox epidemic had far-reaching consequences for the Aboriginal people of Sydney. It affected entire generations, leaving survivors without family or community leaders. The epidemic also paved the way for the spread of other infectious diseases, such as influenza, measles, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections. The lack of immunity to these diseases brought widespread death and contributed to the colonisation process.
By the late 1880s, a majority of people living in the Australian colonies were native-born, with more than 90% of British and Irish heritage. The colonisation of Australia resulted in the displacement and devastation of the Aboriginal population, who had lived in the land for thousands of years.
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The six British colonies united in a federation in 1901
The colonisation of Australia by the British began in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove. The fleet carried around 1,300 colonists, joining the approximately 750,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people already inhabiting the land.
By the late 19th century, Australia consisted of six self-governing British colonies: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Each colony had its own distinct laws, railway gauges, postage stamps, and tariffs, which caused issues and led to discussions about the benefits of uniting as a single nation.
The Australian Natives' Association, established in 1879 and consisting of white men born in Australia, committed itself to Federation in 1880. This provided organisational and financial support for the Federation leagues that formed later to advocate for a united Australia. The movement for Federation gained momentum in 1889, when New South Wales Premier Sir Henry Parkes gave a rousing address, calling for "a great national government for all Australians".
In 1899, referendums on the revised constitution were held in all the colonies except Western Australia, which voted in 1900. The majority voted 'yes' in all the colonies. The resulting bill was sent to Britain, where it was passed as the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900, receiving royal assent from Queen Victoria on 9 July 1900. The Act established the office of governor-general as the Queen's representative and provided for a High Court, dividing powers between the states and the new Commonwealth government.
On 1 January 1901, the six colonies united in a federation, forming the Commonwealth of Australia and becoming a nation in their own right. This date also marked the implementation of the Australian Constitution. The colonies retained their own systems of government, but also agreed to be governed by a federal government responsible for matters concerning the entire nation, such as defence, immigration, and customs.
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Frequently asked questions
The First Fleet brought around 1,400 convicts, sailors, soldiers and administrators to Australia. Another source states the number to be 1,300 colonists.
By 1833, more than 162,000 prisoners had been taken to Australia. Another source states the number to be 160,000 criminals.
People poured into the colonies from ships around the world in search of gold.
Miners in Ballarat rebelled against the colonial government, and government troops killed 22 diggers and lost 6 soldiers.
The Aboriginal population of the Sydney region is estimated to have been about 3,000 people.
