Damon Mcknight
Between 1788 and 1868, the British penal system transported about 162,000 convicts from Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia. The British government had been sending convicts overseas to American colonies since the early 18th century, but this came to an end with the start of the American Revolution. With prisons becoming overcrowded, Britain needed a new destination for its convicts and chose Australia, which had been claimed for Britain by James Cook in 1770. 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. Penal transportation to Australia peaked in the 1830s, with most convicts transported for petty crimes, and it officially ended in 1868.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country that set up a penal colony in Australia | Britain |
| Year of the first penal colony | 1788 |
| Total number of convicts transported to Australia | 162,000 |
| Number of convicts who were female | 15% |
| Number of convicts who were male | 85% |
| Number of convicts who were children | Not specified |
| Percentage of current Australian population descended from convicts | 20% |
| Year transportation to Australia ended | 1868 |
| First Fleet of convict ships | 11 ships |
| Year the First Fleet set sail | 1787 |
| Destination of the First Fleet | Botany Bay |
| Year the Macquarie Harbour penal colony was established | 1820 |
| Year Tasmania was declared a separate colony from New South Wales | 1825 |
| Year Western Australia became a penal colony | 1850 |
| Year transportation to New South Wales was abolished | 1850 |
| Year transportation to Van Diemen's Land was abolished | 1853 |
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What You'll Learn
The British government chose Australia as a penal colony site in 1787
The decision to establish a penal colony in Australia was driven by several factors. Firstly, the British government sought to relieve overcrowding in prisons and hulks following the end of trans-Atlantic transportation due to the American Revolution. Additionally, Britain wanted to pre-empt the expansion of the French colonial empire into the region, as James Cook had claimed possession of the east coast of Australia for Britain in 1770.
The convicts transported to Australia were mostly penalised for minor crimes, such as theft, rebellion towards the King, and violent crimes like robbery and kidnapping. However, some political prisoners who had not been convicted of any crime were also transported. The conditions on the transport ships were harsh, with high mortality rates during the voyages. Once in Australia, the convicts faced years of labour and isolation, enduring cruel treatment from their captors.
The establishment of the penal colony had a lasting impact on the indigenous people of Australia, with severe racism and forced relocation from their homelands. The descendants of the convicts, on the other hand, often chose to remain in Australia after serving their sentences, taking advantage of new opportunities and climbing the social ladder. Today, about 20% of Australians are descendants of convicts, and the country has embraced its crime-ridden past, transforming shame into pride.
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The First Fleet of convict ships arrived in 1788
The First Fleet of convict ships arrived in Australia in 1788, marking the beginning of the country's history as a British penal colony. The fleet consisted of 11 vessels, which set sail from England on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788, after a journey of more than 15,000 miles (24,000 km). The fleet carried over 1,400 convicts, marines, sailors, colonial officials, and free settlers.
Governor Arthur Phillip, who commanded the First Fleet, rejected Botany Bay as the site for the new colony due to its lack of fresh water and poor soil quality. Instead, he chose Port Jackson, to the north, where the fleet arrived on 26 January 1788. This site offered deeper water close to the shore, shelter, and a small stream. The colony of New South Wales was established as a penal colony, becoming the first British settlement in Australia.
The arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove marked the beginning of the European colonisation of Australia. It also had a significant impact on the local Aboriginal people, the Eora, who were the traditional owners of the land in the Sydney area. The establishment of the colony led to violence and conflict between the settlers and the Eora, as well as the spread of deadly European diseases like smallpox, which took a heavy toll on the indigenous population.
The convicts transported on the First Fleet faced harsh conditions and years of labour as they worked to establish the colony under the supervision of their captors. The food in Australia was of better quality than in British prisons, and convicts who completed their sentences could remain in the country and climb the social ladder. However, the journey was challenging, with water rationing and a lack of supplies, and 48 people died en route.
The First Fleet was followed by many other fleets of convict ships, and over the next 80 years, more than 150,000 convicts were transported to Australia. The use of Australia as a penal colony ended in 1868, and today, the country embraces its crime-ridden past, with about 20% of Australians descended from convicts.
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Convicts were treated harshly and faced years of isolation
Between 1788 and 1868, the British penal system transported approximately 162,000 convicts from Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia. The use of Australia as a penal colony led to years of isolation for the convicts sent there. The feeling of isolation was intensified by the sheer distance of the convicts from their homes and loved ones.
Convicts were treated harshly in Australia. The Macquarie Harbour penal colony on the west coast of Tasmania, for example, was almost impossible to escape from. Most attempts ended with fugitive convicts either drowning, dying of starvation, or turning cannibal. Convicts sent to this settlement had usually re-offended during their sentence of transportation. They were treated very harshly, labouring in cold and wet weather, and subjected to severe corporal punishment for minor infractions.
In the 1800s, the Bloody Code was gradually rescinded because 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 sentence to execution. Most convicts were transported for petty crimes, particularly theft. About 80% of all transportees were thieves.
The treatment of the transported convicts was poor and the use of excessive punishment was common throughout the penal system. Lashings were commonplace, and prisoners who did not behave were taken elsewhere to suffer a secondary punishment. This could involve being taken to areas such as Tasmania and Norfolk Island, where additional punishment was carried out and long periods of solitary confinement were enforced.
On the mainland, Arthur Philips set up a system that allowed convicts to be assigned to jobs that fit well with their skill set. However, this policy created further isolation, especially for female convicts. Women were separated from men and sent to a 'female factory', where they were forced to launder clothes, sew, and spin while awaiting further assignment. A main role for women was to populate the colony. Women who had brought children with them or given birth during the voyage faced further isolation from their children, who were placed in orphanages until the sentence had been served.
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Penal transportation to Australia peaked in the 1830s
The British government established Australia as a penal colony in 1788. Penal transportation to Australia peaked in the 1830s, with 7,000 prisoners arriving in 1833 alone. This period marked the culmination of over a century of transportation as an alternative to the death penalty, which had become increasingly excessive in the 18th century.
The British government had initially transported convicts to the American colonies in the early 1700s. However, with the onset of the American Revolution, they were forced to seek alternative destinations, and in 1770, James Cook claimed the east coast of Australia for Britain. Penal colonies were subsequently established in New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Queensland, and Western Australia.
The convicts transported to Australia during the peak in the 1830s faced harsh conditions and were predominantly sentenced for petty crimes such as theft. The punishment was often disproportionate to the crimes committed, with some convicts having done little more than steal a bag of sugar. The transportation itself was gruelling, with convicts enduring cramped and unhygienic conditions on ships, leading to the spread of diseases like cholera.
During this period, most convicts were either retained by the government for public works or assigned to private individuals as indentured labourers. Despite the harsh treatment and isolation, many convicts remained in Australia after serving their sentences, joining the growing population of free settlers. The desire to stay was driven by factors such as better food and new opportunities in this new land. The system of penal transportation to Australia gradually declined following the peak in the 1830s due to protests against the convict system, and it officially ended in 1868.
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The last convict ship arrived in Western Australia in 1868
Britain chose Australia as the site of a penal colony in 1787, and in 1788, 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. Between 1788 and 1868, about 162,000 convicts were transported from Great Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia.
The last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia was the Hougoumont, which arrived on 10 January 1868 with 229 convicts on board. The ship's arrival marked the end of 80 years of penal transportation to Australia. The colony's population had risen nearly fourfold from 5,886 to 22,738 by the end of the transportation era in 1868.
The use of Australia as a penal colony led to years of isolation for the convicts sent there. Once a convict had served their sentence, they could remain in Australia and climb the social ranks rather than paying a high fare to return to England. As a result, about 20% of Australians today are descendants of convicts.
The British government acknowledged that the number of people being met with capital punishment was getting out of control. Many of the convicts were impoverished people whose crimes were minor, and some were children, political prisoners, or falsely accused. The food in Australia was of better quality, and there were new and exciting opportunities in this new land.
In 1865, the colony was informed of the change in British policy, and it was told that Britain would send one convict ship in each of the years 1865, 1866, and 1867, after which transportation would cease.
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Frequently asked questions
Britain set up a penal colony in Australia.
Britain chose Australia as the site of a penal colony to relieve overcrowding of British prisons and hulks, and to pre-empt the French colonial empire from expanding into the region.
The British government initiated the penal transportation of indentured servants to Britain's colonies in the Americas in 1717. However, after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1776, British prisons started to become overcrowded. 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.
