Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia's founding story is often associated with criminals and convict colonies. In 1788, the British established New South Wales as a penal colony, sending over 1,000 convicts to Botany Bay near Sydney, marking the first European settlement on the continent. Over the next 80 years, more than 160,000 convicts were transported to Australia, with the majority serving time for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland. While the penal colonies played a significant role in Australia's early development, the notion that the country was founded by criminals is nuanced. Convicts and ex-convicts, including many who were convicted of minor offences, contributed to the growth of the young colony, with some even becoming successful settlers and prominent citizens. However, they were not involved in positions of power and were largely excluded from decision-making processes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the first fleet of convict ships | 20 January 1788 |
| Destination of the first fleet | Botany Bay, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Number of convict ships in the first fleet | 11 |
| Number of convicts in the first fleet | Over 1,000 people, about three-quarters of whom were convicts |
| Total number of convicts transported to Australia | Over 160,000 |
| Countries of origin of convicts | England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales |
| Percentage of Irish and Scottish convicts | 24% and 5% respectively |
| Percentage of female convicts | 20% |
| Percentage of convicts who were political prisoners | Small |
| Year transportation to Tasmania ended | 1853 |
| Year convict transportation to Australia ended | 1868 |
| Year Moreton Bay ceased receiving convicts | 1839 |
| Year Moreton Bay allowed free settlement | 1842 |
| Year Queensland became a separate colony from New South Wales | 1859 |
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What You'll Learn
The First Fleet of convict ships arrived in 1788
The First Fleet of convict ships to Australia consisted of 11 vessels, departing from England and sailing over 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) across the Pacific Ocean. The fleet included two Royal Navy vessels, three storeships, and six convict transports, carrying over 1,400 people, including convicts, marines, sailors, colonial officials, and free settlers. The journey lasted 250 to 252 days, and about 3% of those onboard died during the voyage.
The First Fleet set sail from Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787, and arrived at Botany Bay, Australia, on January 18, 1788. However, Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay as the site for the new colony, citing issues such as shallow water and poor soil quality. Instead, the fleet moved to Port Jackson, located to the north, and established the new colony there on January 26, 1788. This date is now celebrated as Australia Day, marking the beginning of British settlement in Australia.
The establishment of the First Fleet was a response to the overcrowding of British prisons and the end of transportation to the American colonies due to the American Revolutionary War. Transportation, or convict transportation, emerged as an alternative form of punishment to the death penalty, which was often mandated for minor offences at the time. The convicts transported to Australia came from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and many stayed on as settlers after serving their sentences.
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Transportation was used as an alternative to execution
In the 1770s, 222 crimes in Britain carried the death penalty, and most of these were property-related crimes. For example, the theft of goods worth over 5 shillings, the cutting down of a tree, or the theft of an animal were all punishable by death. As a result, lawmakers sought alternative punishments that would deter potential criminals.
Transportation, or the relocation of convicted criminals to distant places, usually colonies, was seen as a more humane punishment than execution. This practice had been used since ancient times to remove offenders from society. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the British Empire used transportation as a punishment for various types of offenders, including criminals, debtors, military prisoners, and political prisoners.
In the case of Australia, the British Government initially sent convicts to the American colonies in the 1700s. However, after the American Revolutionary War, transportation to America ceased, and the British needed to find a new destination for their convicts. James Cook had claimed the east coast of Australia for Britain in 1770, and in 1783, James Matra, who had been on this voyage, proposed to the British Government that Botany Bay would be a suitable location for a colony. Thus, 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 in Australia.
Over the next 80 years, more than 160,000 convicts were transported to Australia from Britain and Ireland. The majority of these convicts were from England and Wales, with a significant number also coming from Ireland and a smaller number from Scotland. Most of them were sentenced in the rapidly growing cities of Britain, where displaced rural populations struggled to find work. Many were convicted of theft to survive, and about 20% of those transported were women. A small proportion were political prisoners, including Irish insurgents, Canadian rebels, and Chartists.
Once in Australia, convicts lived under strict rules, and any infractions were punished harshly. They were forced to work from sunrise to sunset, six days a week, as part of their punishment. However, the colonial administration also viewed this as an opportunity for redemption. Convicts who behaved well could earn a ticket of leave, allowing them some freedoms, or even an absolute pardon. Many convicts stayed in Australia after serving their sentences, and some became successful settlers and contributed to the development of the colony.
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The majority of convicts were not in positions of power
The convict population in Australia was indeed diverse, and while some convicts may have held positions of relative influence, the majority of them did not wield significant power. The reality is that most convicts led lives of hard labour and were subject to strict discipline and punishment.
It is important to understand the broader context of the convict system in Australia. The transportation of convicts to Australia was a result of the British government's decision to use the colonies as a penal settlement. Between 1788 and 1868, approximately 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia from Britain and Ireland. The majority of these convicts were men, and they came from a range of social backgrounds, including labourers, artisans, and former soldiers.
The lives of convicts in Australia were heavily regulated and disciplined. They were assigned to work gangs and put to work building roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. The work was gruelling and often dangerous, and convicts who disobeyed orders or tried to escape faced harsh punishments, including flogging, solitary confinement, and even death.
While a small number of convicts may have been assigned to positions of relative responsibility, such as overseers or supervisors, the majority had little to no authority or control over their lives. They were subject to the orders of military officers, government officials, and free settlers, who held the real power in the colony.
In addition, convicts had limited rights and freedoms. They were not allowed to marry without permission, and their movements were restricted. Even after serving their sentences, many convicts continued to face discrimination and struggled to find work and fully integrate into society.
So, while there may have been a few convicts who held positions of influence, the overall power dynamic in the colony was firmly in the hands of the British authorities and free settlers. The majority of convicts were very much at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and their lives were characterised by hard labour and strict discipline rather than power and privilege.
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Convicts were mainly from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
The convicts transported to Australia were mainly from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Over 160,000 convicts were transported from England to Australia during the first 80 years of white settlement, from 1788 to 1868. Transportation emerged in the British legal system in the early 17th century as an alternative to execution. The Transportation Act of 1717 simplified and legitimised the process, making transportation a more common punishment.
The convicts were transported as punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland. Most were sentenced in the rapidly growing cities of Britain, where displaced rural populations struggled to find work in an increasingly industrialised world. Many crimes that today would be considered minor offences were punishable by hanging, and there were 225 identified capital offences at the time. The most common reason for transportation was theft, which included pickpocketing, shoplifting, stealing horses and sheep, highway robbery, housebreaking and receiving stolen goods. However, some convicts were political prisoners, including Irish home rule insurgents, the unionist Tolpuddle Martyrs, anti-industrialising Luddites, Canadian rebels and political reforming Chartists.
The American colonies were the main destination for convict transportation in the 18th century, but this came to an end with the American Revolutionary War. Britain chose Australia as the new 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.
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Many convicts were impoverished and committed minor crimes
The British penal system transported about 162,000 convicts from Great Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia between 1788 and 1868. 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. Penal colonies were later established in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Queensland, and Western Australia.
The convicts were transported as punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland. Many of these people were impoverished and had committed minor crimes. In the 1770s, some 222 crimes in Britain carried the death penalty, almost all of which were crimes against property. For example, the stealing of goods worth over 5 shillings, the cutting down of a tree, the theft of an animal, or even the theft of a rabbit from a warren were all punishable by death. The Industrial Revolution economically displaced much of the working class, leading to an increase in petty crime. As a result, four out of five prisoners were in jail for theft.
The Transportation Act of 1717 simplified and legitimised the transportation process. Convicts guilty of capital crimes but commuted by the king would receive 14 years of transportation, while those convicted of non-capital offences could receive seven years. Returning to England before the sentence was complete was a capital offence in itself. The Act made transportation simpler and increased the number of convicts transported to America.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Australia was founded by criminals in the sense that they built the infrastructure and lived all over the place. However, they were not involved in any positions of power.
Many of the transported convicts were convicted of petty crimes, such as stealing food and clothing. Some were also political prisoners.
Transportation emerged as an alternative to the death penalty, which was the punishment for many crimes that would be considered minor offences today.
The British landed a fleet of ships near Sydney (the First Fleet) in 1788, containing over 1,000 people, about three-quarters of whom were convicts.
Convict transportation to Australia ended in 1868.
