Damon Mcknight
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 British government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 18th century. After trans-Atlantic transportation ended with the start of the American Revolution, the British sought an alternative destination to relieve further overcrowding of prisons. In 1770, James Cook charted and claimed possession of the east coast of Australia for Britain. Seeking to pre-empt the French colonial empire from expanding into the region, Britain chose Australia as the site of a penal colony. On 9 January 1868, the convict ship Hougoumont arrived at the port of Fremantle in Western Australia with 269 convicts, marking the end of 80 years of penal transportation to Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date convicts stopped coming to Australia | 9 January 1868 |
| Last ship carrying convicts | Hougoumont |
| Port of arrival | Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Number of convicts on the last ship | 269 |
| Total number of convicts transported to Australia | 162,000+ |
| Duration of convict transportation to Australia | 80 years |
| First colony established | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Year of the first colony | 1788 |
| Initial purpose of convict transportation | Address overcrowding in British prisons |
| Primary reason for choosing Australia | Britain had mapped its coast |
| Additional reasons for choosing Australia | Strategic advantage, imperial considerations |
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What You'll Learn
Convict transportation to New South Wales ceased in 1840
The British government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 18th century. However, after the American Revolution, the American colonists ceased accepting convicts. This led to a search for alternative destinations, with West Africa being considered briefly.
The idea of sending convicts to Australia was based on Britain's familiarity with the region and Captain Cook's favourable reports about Botany Bay. In 1786, the British government decided to utilise this region, and in 1787, the First Fleet of eleven convict ships set sail for Botany Bay, arriving on 20 January 1788. This marked the beginning of Australia as a penal colony, with Sydney in New South Wales being the first European settlement on the continent.
Overcrowded prisons in Britain and the need to establish a colony in New South Wales to pre-empt French expansion were also significant factors in the decision to send convicts to Australia. Between 1788 and 1868, more than 160,000 convicts were transported to Australia, with New South Wales receiving the first convicts.
However, opposition to penal transportation in New South Wales grew from the 1830s, fuelled by events such as the murder of Robert Wardell, a friend of William Charles Wentworth, by a convict in 1834. In 1837, the British government established a commission of inquiry headed by Sir William Molesworth, who was sympathetic to colonial self-government and the abolition of slavery. Despite outrage from colonists, Molesworth's report was well-received by the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne's administration, and in 1840, transportation to New South Wales ceased.
While transportation to New South Wales ended in 1840, it continued in other parts of Australia, such as Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania. Western Australia also commenced receiving convicts in 1850, and the last convict ship arrived in Western Australia in 1868, marking the end of convict transportation to Australia.
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The last convicts arrived in Western Australia in 1868
The use of Australia as a penal colony by Britain began in 1787 when the First Fleet of eleven convict ships set sail for Botany Bay, arriving on 20 January 1788. This marked the founding of Sydney, New South Wales, the first European settlement on the continent. The British had chosen Australia as the site of a penal colony to prevent the French colonial empire from expanding into the region.
However, not all settlements in Australia were intended to be penal colonies. The Swan River Colony in Western Australia, established in 1829, was initially meant to be made up of free settlers. But in 1849, under Governor Fitzgerald, Western Australia was converted to a penal colony. The first convicts arrived in 1850 and were used as a source of free labour to build roads, bridges, and important buildings.
In May 1865, the British government informed the colony that it would send one convict ship per year in 1865, 1866, and 1867, after which transportation would cease. The last convict ship, Hougoumont, left Britain in 1867 and arrived in Western Australia on 9 or 10 January 1868 with 269 convicts aboard. The arrival of the Hougoumont marked the end of 80 years of penal transportation to Australia, during which more than 162,000 convicts had been transported from Britain and Ireland.
After the end of convict transportation, some settlers looked for other sources of cheap labour. In addition, the use of convict labour continued for some time, relying on local prisoners and convicts who had not yet completed their sentences.
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Convict labour was needed for building projects
The first convicts to arrive in Australia were sent to New South Wales and contributed to the establishment of a settlement at King George Sound (Albany) in 1826. This settlement was maintained for over four years, with convicts providing labour for construction and other tasks. In 1831, control of the settlement was transferred to the Swan River Colony, and the troops and convicts were withdrawn.
The Swan River Colony, later known as Western Australia, was initially intended solely for free settlers. However, in 1850, the colony began receiving convicts, and their labour had a significant economic impact on the struggling colony. The convicts constructed essential infrastructure, such as the road from Albany to Perth and the Fremantle Bridge.
Convict transportation to Australia peaked in the 1830s, with thieves comprising 80% of all transportees. However, as protests against the convict system intensified throughout the colonies, the transportation of convicts to the eastern colonies ceased around the 1840s. The last convict ship to Australia arrived in Western Australia on 9 January 1868, marking the end of 80 years of penal transportation to the country.
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Penal transportation peaked in the 1830s
Penal transportation to Australia peaked in the 1830s, with more than 162,000 convicts transported from Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia between 1788 and 1868. Penal transportation was used as a method of colonization, relieving overcrowded prisons in Britain, and increasing the colonial labour force.
The practice of penal transportation, or simply "transportation", involved the relocation of convicted criminals or undesirable persons to a distant place, often a colony, for a specified term. While prisoners may have been released after serving their sentences, they generally did not have the means to return home. This form of punishment has been used since at least the 5th century BCE in Ancient Greece, but it reached its height in the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries.
During the 1830s, the Port Arthur penal settlement was established, known for its harsh prison conditions and experimentation with the model prison system. Until the late 1830s, most convicts were either retained by the government for public works or assigned to private individuals as a form of indentured labour. The majority of convicts transported during this time were thieves, comprising 80% of all transportees, and most were transported for petty crimes. However, more serious crimes, such as rape and murder, also became transportable offences during this decade.
In the following decade, protests against the convict system intensified throughout the colonies, leading to a significant drop in penal transportation. By 1840, transportation to New South Wales had ceased, and by 1868, almost two decades later, the last convict ship arrived in Western Australia, marking the end of 80 years of penal transportation to Australia.
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The first convicts arrived in 1788
The British penal system transported approximately 162,000 convicts from Great Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia between 1788 and 1868. The first of these convicts arrived in Australia on 26 January 1788, on a fleet of eleven ships known as the First Fleet. The First Fleet set sail from England on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay eight months later, on 18 January 1788. Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay as the site for the new colony, instead choosing Port Jackson, to the north, where they arrived on 26 January 1788. This date is celebrated as Australia Day.
The First Fleet was the largest single contingent of ships to sail into the Pacific Ocean, consisting of 750-780 convicts and around 550 crew, soldiers, and family members. The journey from England to Australia took 252 days, and there were around 48 deaths on the voyage. The ships carried only enough food to provide for the settlers until they could establish agriculture in the region, which proved challenging due to a shortage of skilled farmers and domesticated livestock. As a result, the colony suffered a high mortality rate, mainly due to starvation.
The first convicts were transported to New South Wales, and sent by that colony to King George Sound (Albany) in 1826 to help establish a settlement there. At that time, the western third of Australia was unclaimed land known as New Holland, and there were fears that France would lay claim to it. Thus, the Governor of New South Wales, Ralph Darling, sent Major Edmund Lockyer, with troops and 23 convicts, to establish a settlement at King George Sound. Lockyer's party arrived on Christmas Day, 1826, and a convict presence was maintained at the settlement for over four years.
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Frequently asked questions
Convicts stopped coming to Australia in 1868 when the last convict ship, the Hougoumont, arrived at the port of Fremantle in Western Australia.
There were 269 convicts on the Hougoumont, though some sources state there were 281.
Convict transportation to Australia ended due to protests against the convict system and the establishment of alternative penal colonies.
