Lyla Lindsey
Australia has a long and complex history of crime and criminality, from its early days as a penal colony to the present day. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Britain used Australia as a site for transporting convicts, with the First Fleet of convict ships arriving in 1788 to found Sydney, New South Wales, the first European settlement on the continent. This convict era has had a significant impact on Australia's national character and has inspired many cultural works. While most ex-convicts stayed in Australia and joined free settlers, some even rising to prominent positions, convictism carried a social stigma for later Australians, with those descended from convicts feeling a sense of shame. In addition to these historical crimes, Australia has also seen its fair share of notable criminal cases in more recent times, including fraud, child sex offences, and murder.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year Britain claimed Australia as a penal colony | 1770 |
| Year the First Fleet of convict ships set sail for Botany Bay | 1787 |
| Date the First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay | 20 January 1788 |
| First European settlement founded | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Number of convict ships in the First Fleet | 11 |
| Year penal colonies were established in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) | 1803 |
| Year penal colonies were established in Queensland | 1824 |
| Year Western Australia was established as the Swan River Colony | 1789 |
| Year Western Australia began receiving convicts | 1850 |
| Year South Australia was established | 1836 |
| Year Victoria was established | 1850 |
| Year transportation of convicts to Moreton Bay ceased | 1839 |
| Year Brisbane penal settlement was closed | 1839 |
| Year free settlement was permitted in Brisbane | 1842 |
| Year Queensland became a colony separate from New South Wales | 1859 |
| Percentage of female convicts | 14.29% |
| Number of Australians related to convicts transported from the British Isles to Australia | ~4 million |
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What You'll Learn
Australia's First Penal Colony
The transportation of convicts to Australia was a direct result of the Industrial Revolution, which economically displaced much of Britain's working class, leading to an increase in petty crime. Overcrowded gaols and hulks left over from the Seven Years' War, used as floating prisons, prompted the government to seek alternative solutions. Transportation, a punishment for both major and petty crimes since the 17th century, was increasingly viewed as a more humane sentence than execution.
In 1770, James Cook charted and claimed possession of the east coast of Australia for Britain. Seeking to prevent the French colonial empire from expanding into the region, Britain chose Australia as the site of its first penal colony. In 1787, the First Fleet of eleven convict ships set sail for Botany Bay, arriving on 20 January 1788 to found Sydney, New South Wales, the first European settlement on the continent.
The fleet consisted of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships, and six convict transports carrying around 750 convicts, half of whom were convicted felons. The convicts, many of whom were petty criminals, were put to work building roads, public buildings, and other infrastructure. The colony was initially a military operation under the command of Governor Arthur Phillip, who had served as a captain in the First Fleet.
Other penal colonies were later established in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1803 and Queensland in 1824. Moreton Bay, established in 1824, was a temporary settlement that later became the Central Business District of Brisbane. Western Australia, established as the Swan River Colony in 1829, was originally intended for free settlers but began receiving convicts in 1850. South Australia and Victoria, established in 1836 and 1850, respectively, officially remained free colonies, although thousands of convicts already resided in what became Victoria.
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Transportation as Punishment
Transportation as a punishment has a long history, being employed as a penalty for both major and petty crimes since the 17th century. The punishment was used as an alternative to confinement in overcrowded jails, as the Industrial Revolution economically displaced much of the working class, leading to an increase in crime.
In the 1800s, the Bloody Code was gradually repealed as its punishments were deemed too harsh by judges and juries. However, lawmakers still sought to deter potential criminals, and so transportation became a more humane alternative to execution. This policy had already been in use for some time, with about 60,000 convicts transported to the British colonies in North America under the Transportation Act of 1717.
In 1784, a French observer noted the extent of crime in London, commenting that "from sunset to dawn the environs of London became the patrimony of bandits". Seeking to address this, Britain chose Australia as the site of a penal colony, and in 1787, the First Fleet of eleven convict ships set sail for Botany Bay, arriving on 20 January 1788 to found Sydney, New South Wales, the first European settlement on the continent. Other penal colonies were later established in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1803, Queensland in 1824, and Western Australia in 1850.
Once emancipated, most ex-convicts remained in Australia, integrating with free settlers, and some even rose to prominent positions in Australian society. However, being of convict descent carried a social stigma, and for some later Australians, it instilled a sense of shame. In the 20th century, attitudes became more accepting, and today, many Australians celebrate having a convict in their lineage.
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Prominent Australian Convicts
Between 1788 and 1868, approximately 162,000 convicts were transported from Great Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia. The British government's decision to send convicts to Australia was influenced by the need to relieve overcrowding in British prisons, as well as the desire to establish a European settlement in the region.
William Redfern
William Redfern, born in 1778, was a surgeon who joined the Navy in 1797. However, his involvement in the Mutiny of the Nore led to a sentence of life imprisonment, and he was transported to the penal colony at Norfolk Island in 1801. Redfern impressed the Governor with his medical skills and received a pardon in 1803. He later became the assistant surgeon at the Dawes Point Convict Hospital in Sydney and is considered the "father of Australian medicine."
Francis Greenway
Francis Greenway, an architect, arrived in Sydney in 1814 after pleading guilty to forging a document when he went bankrupt. Some of his notable works include The Government House and St. James's Church in Sydney.
Mary Wade
Mary Wade was just 11 years old when she was convicted of stealing another girl's clothes and sentenced to death by hanging. However, her sentence was commuted to transportation to Australia, where she became one of the country's "'founding mothers." She had 21 offspring and, at the time of her death, had 300 descendants, including former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Billy Blue
US-born William "Billy" Blue served with the British during the Revolutionary War, earning his freedom from slavery. However, he later found himself convicted of stealing sugar in London in 1796 and was sentenced to seven years' transportation. After serving his time on convict ships, he settled in Sydney, where he became a well-loved and "whimsical" member of the community.
William Bland
William Bland was a convict who made significant contributions to medicine and education in Australia. He was involved in the foundation of the Sydney Dispensary, which provided medical treatment to the poor and carried out the country's first vaccination programme. Bland was also instrumental in the establishment of Sydney College, which later became a grammar school, and he served as the first president of the Australian Medical Association.
Henry Browne Hayes
Irish-born Henry Browne Hayes, also known as Henry Bronwe Hayes, made several notable contributions to early Australian history. He founded the first Masonic lodge in the country and built Vaucluse House, which later became a national monument and the home of W.C. Wentworth. Hayes was transported to Australia after a series of unusual events, including serving as a captain in the South Cork Militia and being knighted in 1790.
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Social Stigma of Convictism
The British established Australia as a penal colony in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet of convict ships at Botany Bay, where they founded Sydney, New South Wales. This was done to alleviate overcrowding in British jails, which had become dire due to the increase in petty crime as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
Convictism carried a significant social stigma. For many Australians, being of convict descent was a source of shame and embarrassment. The stigma was so strong that only a small number of convicts, 37 out of 9721, were able to overcome it and become schoolteachers. This sense of shame and "cultural cringe" persisted for generations, with some Australians feeling a sense of stigma if they discovered convict ancestry in their lineage.
Psychological research on the impact of stigma on criminal offenders suggests that it is not the label itself that leads to negative outcomes, but rather how individuals think and feel about being stigmatized, and their expectations of future discrimination. For example, male prisoners who perceived a strong stigma were found to be more likely to anticipate withdrawing from society. Similarly, former prisoners who perceived a stigma were more likely to exhibit maladaptive behaviors, such as violating probation.
The social stigma of convictism had a significant impact on the lives of emancipated convicts and their descendants, influencing their social mobility, career prospects, and sense of self-worth. It is only in recent times, with a better understanding of the historical context and the influence of writers and historians, that attitudes have become more accepting. Many Australians now celebrate finding a convict in their lineage.
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Cultural Influence of the Convict Era
The convict era in Australia, from 1788 to 1868, has had a significant influence on the country's culture and history. During this period, approximately 162,000 convicts were transported to various penal colonies in Australia from Britain and Ireland. This mass exile, as part of the British Empire's expansion, was a response to the overcrowding of prisons and hulks in Britain due to increasing petty crimes caused by the Industrial Revolution.
The impact of the convict era can be seen in various cultural works, including literature, film, and art. For example, the famous novel "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens features the convict character Abel Magwitch. The convict experience is also depicted in Marcus Clarke's "For the Term of His Natural Life" and its subsequent film adaptations during Australia's silent film era. The era has inspired other novels, such as "The Broad Arrow" by Caroline Woolmer Leakey, which features a female convict protagonist, and Thomas Keneally's "Bring Larks and Heroes."
The convict era has also left a legacy in the form of the Convict Records of Queensland, which were added to UNESCO's Australian Memory of the World Register in 2009. These records provide a valuable historical insight into the lives and experiences of convicts in Australia. Additionally, the era has influenced the development of certain colonies, such as Norfolk Island, which was resettled in 1825 as a satellite colony of Sydney, and Moreton Bay, which served as a place of 'secondary punishment'.
The end of the convict era in Australia came about due to the cessation of penal transportation by Britain. The last convict ship to Western Australia, the Hougoumont, arrived in 1868. While the convict era itself lasted until the mid-19th century, its impact on Australia's national character and society continued to evolve. Initially, being of convict descent carried a social stigma, and some Australians felt a sense of shame about their convict lineage. However, attitudes changed over time, and by the 20th century, discovering a convict ancestor became a cause for celebration for many Australians. Today, it is estimated that approximately four million Australians are related to convicts transported from the British Isles to Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Britain chose Australia as the site of a penal colony, and in 1787, the First Fleet of convict ships set sail for Botany Bay, arriving on 20 January 1788 to found Sydney, New South Wales, the first European settlement on the continent.
Britain was seeking to pre-empt the French colonial empire from expanding into the region.
Eleven.
Four out of five prisoners were in jail for theft. However, other convicts were political prisoners who had been convicted of no crime.
Once emancipated, most ex-convicts stayed in Australia and joined the free settlers, with some rising to prominent positions in Australian society.
