Lyla Lindsey
The British Empire was a worldwide system of dependencies under the sovereignty of the crown of Great Britain and the administration of the British government. The first steps towards the establishment of the British Empire began with overseas settlements in the 16th century, and Australia became part of the British Empire in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson. This marked the beginning of the early British colonial period in Australia, which included the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales and other Australian colonies that make up the modern states of Australia. The human history of Australia, however, dates back much further, with the arrival of the first ancestors of Aboriginal Australians between 50,000 and 65,000 years ago.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date Australia became part of the British Empire | 1788 |
| How it became part of the British Empire | The arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson and the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales |
| British Empire's greatest extent | Mid-20th century |
| Status of the British Empire today | Does not exist |
| Australia's status today | A Commonwealth of former British colonies |
| Aboriginal Australians' history | Settled throughout continental Australia and nearby islands 50,000-65,000 years ago |
| Aboriginal casualty rates | High due to the colonists' use of mounted police, Native Police units, revolvers, and breech-loaded guns |
| Inter-tribal Aboriginal conflict | Increased as British settlement forced people off their traditional lands |
| Economic relationship with the UK | The UK was Australia's most prominent trading partner in the 1880s, accounting for 70% of imports and up to 80% of exports |
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What You'll Learn
- The arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in 1788
- The establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales
- The spread of British settlement and conflict with Aboriginal Australians
- The economic and financial relationship between the UK and Australia
- The Australian Natives Association and the campaign for an Australian federation within the British Empire
The arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in 1788
Botany Bay was soon dismissed as the site for the new colony, as it was exposed, with shallow waters and a lack of fresh water. The soil was also poor quality and damp, making it an unhealthy place for settlement. The fleet moved on to Port Jackson to the north, arriving there on 26 January 1788 and establishing the colony of New South Wales as a penal colony, the first British settlement in Australia. This date is now celebrated as Australia Day.
The British flag was not officially planted until 7 February 1788, when possession was formally proclaimed. The convicts watched the proceedings from the ships, awaiting their fate with trepidation. The journey had been arduous, with challenging conditions, including violent seas, and the rations of water and other goods had run low. Many convicts did not survive the journey, and those who did arrived in poor health.
The establishment of the penal colony was part of the British Empire's plan to settle Australia and create large areas of agricultural production. The colony included all of Australia eastward of the meridian of 135° East, reflecting the line of division between the claims of Spain and Portugal established in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. The British government transported approximately 165,000 convicts to Australia between 1788 and 1868, and the penal transportation system reached its peak in the 1830s.
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The establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales
The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a state of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, the Northern Territory as well as New Zealand.
The First Fleet of British ships arrived at Port Jackson, the land of the Eora, on 26 January 1788. Led by Captain Arthur Phillip, the fleet founded the first British settlement in Australian history as a penal colony. The first ship of the fleet, HMS Supply, with Phillip aboard, had reached Botany Bay a few days prior. Botany Bay was found to be unsuitable, leading Phillip to explore Port Jackson, where he eventually sailed to and reached Sydney Cove on the night of 25 January 1788. On the morning of 26 January, the men onboard started clearing land for a camp. In the afternoon, they erected a flagpole, raised the Union Jack, and the officers made toasts to the Royal Family and the success of the colony.
The Colony of New South Wales was formally proclaimed on 7 February 1788. The proclamation included a reading of the rights of the convicts and others. The colony faced extreme difficulty in its earliest years due to water scarcity and food shortages. The penal colony gradually expanded, and by 1820, British settlement was largely confined to a 100-kilometre radius around Sydney and to the central plain of Van Diemen's Land. From 1816, penal transportation to Australia increased rapidly, and the number of free settlers grew steadily.
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment of the British Army to relieve the marines who accompanied the First Fleet. Officers of the Corps soon became involved in the corrupt and lucrative rum trade in the colony. Governor William Bligh (1806–1808) tried to suppress the rum trade and the illegal use of Crown Land, resulting in the Rum Rebellion of 1808. The Corps, working with the wool trader John Macarthur, staged an armed takeover of the government, deposing Bligh and instigating a brief period of military rule before the arrival of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1810. Macquarie was the first to imagine Sydney and NSW as something more than a penal colony, encouraging reformed convicts to participate in society and shape the free settlement.
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The spread of British settlement and conflict with Aboriginal Australians
The modern nation of Australia was formed on 1 January 1901 as a federation of former British colonies. However, the British colonial period in Australia began much earlier, in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, on the lands of the Eora. This marked the beginning of the British Empire's expansion into Australia and the displacement of Aboriginal Australians from their ancestral lands.
The British viewed Australia as a "colony of settlement, not conquest", and justified their takeover by declaring the land as 'terra nullius', or land belonging to no one. This notion was based on the assumption that European culture was superior and that there were few 'natives' along the coast. The British also believed that they could establish a colony by persuading Indigenous inhabitants to submit to their rule, purchasing the right to settle, or by unilateral possession. This colonial takeover had a devastating impact on Aboriginal Australians, disrupting their customs, traditions, and kinship systems, and leading to their forced removal from their ancestral lands.
As the British established the penal colony of New South Wales and expanded their settlement, conflict with Aboriginal Australians escalated. The spread of British settlement forced many Aboriginal people off their traditional lands and into the territories of other, often hostile, tribes, leading to an increase in inter-tribal conflict. Additionally, the introduction of diseases such as smallpox, influenza, and measles, as well as sexual abuse and exploitation of Indigenous women, caused high mortality rates among Aboriginal communities.
The conflict between British settlers and Aboriginal Australians intensified in the 19th century, particularly in New South Wales in the 1840s and in Queensland from 1860 to 1880. Aboriginal people resisted the invasion of their lands, with leaders such as Pemulwuy of the Bidjigal clan leading attacks on European cattle stations. In response, the British established mounted police forces and utilized Native Police units, revolvers, and breech-loaded guns, resulting in increased Aboriginal casualties. The last recorded massacre of Aboriginal people by settlers occurred at Coniston in the Northern Territory in 1928, where at least 31 Aboriginal people were killed.
Despite the adverse effects of colonisation, Aboriginal Australians have persevered, and their customs, traditions, and kinship systems remain resilient and vibrant. The recognition of a unified Australia, however, was often associated with a white Australia, and the struggle for reconciliation and recognition of Indigenous rights continues.
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The economic and financial relationship between the UK and Australia
Australia was among the UK's largest sources of wheat imports, and at times, it accounted for over 50% of the UK's wool imports. The Australian Pound was linked to the Pound Sterling, and Australian banks kept reserve balances in sterling, known as 'London funds'.
The mid-19th century gold rush helped propel Melbourne to global significance in terms of size and affluence. The willingness of Australia to accept international capital, notably from the UK, has contributed to the growth of the Australian economy.
The Australian Natives Association campaigned for an Australian federation within the British Empire, promoting Australian literature and history. A unified Australia was often associated with a white Australia. The divide between liberals and conservatives in British politics was replicated in Australia, with the conservatives generally seeing representative government as a threat.
The British Empire's formation was an unorganized process based on piecemeal acquisition, sometimes with the British government being an unwilling partner. The empire was a worldwide system of dependencies under the sovereignty of the crown of Great Britain and the administration of the British government.
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The Australian Natives Association and the campaign for an Australian federation within the British Empire
The Australian Natives Association (ANA) was a mutual society founded in Melbourne, Australia, in April 1871 by a group of young, white, Australian-born men. It was founded for the benefit of white native-born Australians, and membership was restricted to this group. The organisation had up to 95,000 members and provided benefits to 250,000 people, including their families. The ANA was one of the largest and most influential friendly societies in Australia.
The ANA was determined to eliminate any sense of cultural inferiority associated with being an Australian-born 'colonial' and to create a society free of British class restrictions. The association aimed to influence public thinking and policymakers, with many ambitious men finding opportunities to practise their oratory, develop leadership skills, and exchange ideas with influential Australians. The ANA's relatively progressive views on women in the 1880s attracted suffragists seeking support for their cause. The association also campaigned for minimum wages, votes for women, and free, non-religious education.
The ANA played a leading role in the movement for Australian federation within the British Empire in the last two decades of the 19th century. In 1884, an important goal for the ANA was the Federation of the Australian colonies. The movement towards Federation was strengthened by a Federation conference in Corowa, New South Wales, in 1893, where ANA members dominated. The association provided organisational and financial support for the Federation Leagues, particularly in Victoria. The ANA's influential and skilled speakers encouraged Australians to support a 'yes' vote for the Constitution Bill referendums in 1898 and 1899. The ANA's support of these bills was an important reason Federation was achieved in 1901.
The ANA also campaigned for protecting native plant and animal species, making 26 January 'Australia Day', studying Australian art and writing in schools, and buying goods made in Australia. However, the ANA also pushed strongly for the White Australia policy, believing that Australia would have a better future if it was made up of only white migrants. With federation achieved in 1901, the ANA withdrew from political activity, although it continued other activities such as promoting the observance of Australia Day.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia became a part of the British Empire in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson. This marked the beginning of the early British colonial period in Australia.
The British Empire was formed through a process of piecemeal acquisition, often driven by the enterprise of companies and magnates rather than the British crown. The loss of Britain's 13 American colonies in 1776-83 was compensated by new settlements in Australia.
The spread of British settlement led to an increase in inter-tribal Aboriginal conflict as people were forced off their traditional lands. Aboriginal casualty rates in conflicts increased as colonists made use of mounted police, Native Police units, revolvers, and breech-loaded guns.
In colonial times, the UK was Australia's most prominent trading partner. In the 1880s, the UK was the source of 70% of Australia's imports and the destination for up to 80% of its exports. The Australian economy faced significant difficulties in the late 1920s, and the country slipped into recession.
