Lexi Webster
Australia's colonisation by white Europeans is a revealing chapter in Britain's empire-building history. Penal transportation to Australia was a form of punishment that involved mass exile, coerced labour, invasion, dispossession, and genocide. Over 80 years, about 165,000 convicts were transported to various colonies around Australia, including Sydney, Hobart, Brisbane, and Perth. These convicts, who were mostly from England and Wales, provided a significant source of free labour for the settlers who came to Australia. While some convicts were political prisoners or falsely accused, most were transported for petty crimes, particularly theft. Once emancipated, most ex-convicts stayed in Australia and joined the free settlers, with some even rising to prominent positions in Australian society.
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What You'll Learn
Convicts founded cities and towns
The Australian colonies were established as a solution to Britain's prison problem, which was caused by the American colonies' refusal to accept prisoners following the American Revolution. The penal colony was also proposed as a way to address prison overcrowding.
In 1783, James Matra, who had been a junior officer on James Cook's voyage to the Pacific, suggested to the British government that Botany Bay would be a suitable location for a colony. The plan was reformulated, and in 1785, the British government issued orders for the creation of a penal colony in New South Wales. On 20 January 1788, the First Fleet of eleven convict ships arrived in Botany Bay, establishing the first permanent European colony on the Australian continent. This marked the founding of Sydney, which later became one of Australia's capital cities.
Over time, other penal colonies were established in various parts of Australia, including Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1803, Queensland in 1824, and Western Australia in 1829. These colonies were sites of forced labour, where convicts were assigned to work for free settlers or the British government.
Convict labour played a significant role in the development of Australian cities and towns. They worked as builders, labourers, clerks, nurses, domestic servants, and more. Many buildings, roads, and bridges across the country were constructed by convicts. Additionally, convicts who had skills in areas such as blacksmithing, brickmaking, carpentry, cattle farming, or farming were employed based on their expertise in building the colonies.
While most convicts were transported for petty crimes like theft, some were political prisoners convicted of no crime. Once they had served their sentences, many convicts stayed in Australia and became successful settlers, even rising to prominent positions in Australian society. For example, Daniel Connor, who was sentenced to transportation for sheep stealing, became a successful merchant and one of the largest landowners in central Perth by the 1890s.
In conclusion, convicts played a crucial role in founding and developing many Australian cities and towns, leaving a lasting impact on the country's history and national character.
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They were a source of free labour
The early days of the Australian colony relied heavily on the labour provided by convicts. This was especially true in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as the colony was in its formative years and lacked sufficient free settlers to provide the necessary labour. Convict labour was a vital resource for the British government, who could use this 'free' labour to develop the colony and boost the economy, without the need for financial investment. This labour force was integral to the establishment and growth of the wool and farming industries, as well as large-scale infrastructure projects. Many of the iconic buildings and structures in Australia today are a testament to the work of convict labourers.
The majority of convicts were employed by the government in gangs or assigned to private individuals as servants or labourers. The gangs were used for public works and large-scale infrastructure projects, such as road and bridge building, and the construction of docks and public buildings. The assigned convicts often worked in agriculture, helping to clear land and establish farms, or in domestic service, providing labour for households. Convicts with specific skills, such as carpenters, masons, and blacksmiths, were highly sought after and often had their sentences reduced or were granted tickets of leave to offer their services to free settlers.
Female convicts, although often outnumbered by their male counterparts, also provided a valuable source of labour. They were often assigned as servants to free settlers or government officials, or worked in government-run factories, producing clothing and other goods. Some women were also employed in domestic service, childcare, and teaching roles, especially those with prior experience or qualifications. The labour provided by female convicts was integral to the functioning of the colony, and their contributions are often overlooked in historical accounts.
While convict labour was certainly a driving force in the early Australian colony, it is important to recognise that it was not without cost. The British government invested significant funds in transporting and maintaining the convict system, including the construction of prisons and the deployment of military personnel to guard the convicts. Additionally, the social and cultural impacts of this system on the indigenous population and the convicts themselves cannot be ignored. Despite these considerations, the utilisation of convict labour played a significant role in shaping the economic and social landscape of Australia during its formative years.
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Some convicts rose to prominence
Australia was founded by convicts in the sense that they built the infrastructure and lived all over the country. However, they were not "Founding Fathers" in the traditional sense.
Convicts were initially transported to Australia as punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland. Most of these crimes were considered minor offences today, such as theft, pickpocketing, shoplifting, and receiving stolen goods. However, some convicts were political prisoners who had not committed any crimes.
Once they had served their sentences, most convicts stayed in Australia and joined the free settlers. They could own land and, under Governor Lachlan Macquarie, some were appointed to key positions in the colonial government. While convictism initially carried a social stigma, attitudes became more accepting in the 20th century, and many Australians now celebrate finding a convict in their lineage.
- Daniel Connor, sentenced to seven years of transportation for sheep stealing, became one of the largest landowners in central Perth by the 1890s.
- William Cuffay, a convict and tailor, was a prominent Black London Chartist leader who led the development of Australia's labour movement.
- John Davies co-founded The Mercury newspaper.
- Margaret Dawson was a First Fleeter and considered a "founding mother".
- William Henry Groom served in the inaugural Australian Parliament.
- Michael Howe was a bushranger and the subject of the first work of general literature published in Australia.
- Laurence Hynes Halloran founded Sydney Grammar School.
- Andrew Thompson, transported in 1791 at age 18, rose to become the Chief Constable in the Hawkesbury district, a major cereal farmer, businessman, ship owner, government official, and the largest private employer in the colony. In 1810, he became the first ex-convict to be appointed as a magistrate.
- James Squire, a Romany convict on the First Fleet, became Australia's first brewer and cultivator of hops.
- David Stuurman, a revered South African chief transported for anti-colonial insurrection.
- John Tawell, who became a prosperous chemist after serving his sentence, returned to England after 15 years and later murdered a mistress, for which he was hanged.
- Samuel Terry was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist.
- James Hardy Vaux authored Australia's first full-length autobiography and dictionary.
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The majority of convicts were not dangerous criminals
The majority of convicts transported to Australia were not dangerous criminals. Most were transported for what we would consider minor offences today, such as theft, fraud, and violence. In the 1800s, the Bloody Code was gradually repealed as judges and juries considered its punishments too harsh. However, lawmakers still wanted punishments to deter potential criminals, so they increasingly used transportation as a more humane alternative to execution. Transportation had been used as a punishment for both major and minor crimes since the 17th century.
The Industrial Revolution economically displaced much of the working class, leading to an increase in petty crimes. The government was under pressure to find an alternative to overcrowded jails. The situation was so dire that hulks from the Seven Years' War were used as makeshift floating prisons. Four out of five prisoners were in jail for theft.
Convicts were mainly from England and Wales, with a large contingent of Irish (24%) and a smaller number of Scots (5%). Over a third of transported convicts were sent from Ireland, which was still under British rule at the time. Significant numbers of convicts were also transported to Bermuda and Gibraltar. Most were sentenced in the rapidly growing cities of Britain, where displaced rural populations struggled to find work in an increasingly industrialised world.
Convicts were transported as punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland. Their sentences stipulated that they would work from sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday. This was their punishment, but the colonial administration also viewed it as an opportunity for redemption, as Governor Phillip believed that "honest sweat" was the convict's best chance of improvement. Convicts lived under strict rules, and any breaking of those regulations could result in punishment such as whippings, the wearing of leg irons, or solitary confinement.
Convicts provided a significant source of free labour for the settlers who came to Australia. They worked as builders, labourers, clerks, nurses, domestic servants, and more. It is not an exaggeration to say that the country was built with convict labour. Many convicts went on to become successful settlers, and some even rose to prominent positions in Australian society.
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Convict transportation ended in 1868
The use of penal transportation to Australia as a form of punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland ended in 1868. Between 1788 and 1868, over 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia, with the practice peaking in 1833 when 7,000 convicts arrived in a single year.
The end of convict transportation in 1868 marked the conclusion of an 80-year period during which Britain used Australia as a penal colony. The First Fleet of 11 convict ships arrived in Botany Bay, Sydney, on 20 January 1788, establishing the first European settlement on the continent. Other penal colonies were later founded in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1803, Queensland in 1824, and Western Australia in 1850. Penal transportation to Tasmania ended in 1853, and to Moreton Bay in 1842.
The majority of convicts were transported for petty crimes, particularly theft, and thieves comprised 80% of all transportees. In addition, political prisoners who had not been convicted of any crime were also transported. Convicts provided a significant source of free or cheap labour for the settlers who came to Australia, working in a variety of roles such as builders, labourers, clerks, nurses, and domestic servants.
After serving their sentences, most convicts remained in Australia and some became successful settlers. Ex-convicts could own land, and some even rose to prominent positions in Australian society, including a Tasmanian newspaper publisher, the richest Tasmanian ever, a postmaster, a magistrate, and a member of parliament.
The decline in public support for the convict system in the 1830s, as well as changing sentiment in Australia, led to the end of convict transportation in 1868. The last convict ship to arrive in Australia was the Hougoumont, which reached the port of Fremantle in Western Australia on 9 January 1868, carrying 269 convicts.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Australia was founded by convicts in the sense that they built a lot of infrastructure and lived all over the country. However, not in the sense that they were 'Founding Fathers'.
About 20% of convicts transported to Australia were female.
Most convicts were transported for non-violent property crimes, particularly theft.
By the mid-1830s, only 6% of convicts were locked up. The vast majority worked for the government or free settlers.
Over an 80-year period, about 160,000-165,000 convicts were transported to various colonies around Australia.
