Leslie Massey
Between 1787 and 1868, England transported convicts to Australia as a solution to the problem of overcrowded British prisons. The penal transportation system peaked in the 1830s, with nearly 7,000 convicts arriving in Australia in 1833. The majority of convicts were transported for petty crimes, particularly theft, and around one in five or seven convicts was female. The last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia was on 10 January 1868, bringing an end to the transportation of convicts to Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date transportation to Australia began | 13 May 1787 |
| First Fleet | 11 ships, 6 of which transported convicts |
| Number of convicts in the First Fleet | 1,000 |
| Date of arrival in Australia | 20 January 1788 |
| Destination | Botany Bay, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Peak year | 1833 |
| Number of convicts transported in the peak year | 7,000 |
| Total number of convicts transported to Australia | 60,000 |
| Total number of convict ships | 43 |
| Total number of deaths during transportation | 2,000 |
| Date of last convict ship to Australia | 10 January 1868 |
| Percentage of convicts who were female | 20% |
| Crimes committed | Theft, robbery, rape, murder |
| Convicts' sentences | Hard labour from sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday |
| Date transportation to Australia ended | 1853 |
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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 comprised 11 vessels, carrying around 1,000 convicts, officers, marines, their wives and children, and provisions and agricultural implements. The fleet departed from England on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay, Australia, on 18 January 1788. The number of convicts transported on the First Fleet is estimated to be between 750 and 780, with 582 men and 193 women. However, 43 convicts died during the eight-month voyage, mainly from diseases such as cholera due to cramped and unhygienic conditions, and only 732 landed at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788.
The First Fleet was the beginning of convict transportation to Australia, which continued until 1868. During this period, over 150,000 convicts were transported to New South Wales and other Australian colonies. Most convicts stayed in Australia after serving their sentences, and some even became prominent members of Australian society. The arrival of the First Fleet marked the beginning of European colonisation in Australia and had a devastating impact on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Convict transportation emerged as an alternative to execution in the British legal system, with many crimes that would today be considered minor offences, such as theft, punishable by hanging. Transportation was also used as a way to relieve the overcrowding of British prisons and prison ships, known as hulks, which were disease-ridden and had a high mortality rate. After the loss of British colonies in North America, Australia was chosen as the site of a penal colony to prevent French expansion in the region.
The First Fleet established the first European settlement in Australia, and the convicts were put to work to create large areas of agricultural production. However, the first attempts at settlement faced challenges due to skill shortages, lack of livestock, unfamiliar climate, and poor tools. The colony also faced starvation, and Governor Arthur Phillip insisted on sharing food between convicts and free settlers, which was not well-received by the British officers. The arrival of the Second Fleet did not improve the situation, as the convicts arrived in poor health and were unable to work.
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Convicts were transported in appalling conditions
The transportation of convicts from Britain to Australia began in 1787 with the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships carrying around 1,000 convicts. This marked the beginning of a nearly 80-year period during which an estimated 164,000 convicts were transported to the Australian colonies. While transportation was initially seen as a more merciful alternative to capital punishment, the conditions under which convicts were transported were appalling and often deadly.
The practice of transporting convicts emerged in the British legal system in the early 17th century as an alternative to execution. During this time, many crimes that would today be considered minor offences were punishable by death, and there were 225 identified capital offences. The American colonies were the primary destination for convict transportation in the 18th century, but this came to an end with the conclusion of the American War of Independence in 1783. With British prisons and prison ships, known as hulks, becoming overcrowded, Britain chose Australia as the site of its next penal colony.
The journey to Australia was arduous and dangerous, with convicts transported in cramped and unhygienic conditions. Space was so limited that inmates could not stand up, and diseases such as cholera were rampant. Nearly 2,000 convicts died during the journey, and those who survived often arrived in poor health, unable to work. The high mortality rate was exacerbated by a lack of sufficient supplies, leading to widespread hunger and starvation. In addition to the harsh conditions on the ships, convicts faced excessive punishments during their imprisonment and work assignments, including lashings and secondary punishments in places like Tasmania and Norfolk Island.
The treatment of convicts sparked protests in the colonies, and by the 1840s, transportation was increasingly perceived as a failure due to the inhumane conditions and the continued high levels of crime. The system of criminal punishment by transportation was officially ended in Britain in the 1850s, replaced by imprisonment with penal servitude. The last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia was the Hougoumont, which reached its destination on 10 January 1868.
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Convict labour contributed to the economy
Between 1788 and 1868, Britain transported approximately 171,000 male and female convicts to Australia, establishing the foundation of the European population in the country. The transportation of convicts to Australia began in 1787, when the First Fleet of 11 convict ships set sail for Botany Bay, arriving on 20 January 1788 to found Sydney, New South Wales. The voyage was intended to establish the first European settlement and penal colony in Australia.
The transportation of convicts to Australia was a result of the American Revolution, which ended British rule in North America and led to the refusal of further convict transportation to the American colonies. With prisons in Britain becoming overcrowded, Australia was chosen as the new site for penal colonies. The convicts transported to Australia were mostly from England and Wales, with smaller contingents from Ireland and Scotland. They were convicted of petty crimes, particularly theft, and their sentences included working from sunrise to sunset, six days a week.
Convict labour contributed significantly to the economy of colonial Australia. They were forced to build transport links, contributing to the development of infrastructure. Additionally, convicts created free labour by having children, and they also joined the free wage labour force after being emancipated. Some convicts, such as Andrew Thompson, rose to prominent positions, becoming the largest private employer in the colony. The contribution of the convict system to Australia's early economic growth was significant, and it helped to establish large areas of agricultural production.
The transportation of convicts to Australia peaked in the 1830s, with nearly 7,000 people arriving in a single year. However, protests against the convict system intensified, and the practice gradually declined. The last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia was in 1868, marking the end of the convict transportation era.
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Convicts were mainly from England, Wales and Ireland
The British government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 1700s. Transportation as a form of criminal punishment emerged in the British legal system from the early 17th century as an alternative to execution. Many crimes that would be considered minor offences today, such as theft, fraud and violence, were punishable by hanging.
However, this came to an end with the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War and the end of British rule in North America. As a result, the Americans refused further convict transportation, and British prisons became increasingly overcrowded.
Britain then decided to send convicts to Australia, with the First Fleet of 11 convict ships setting sail for Botany Bay in 1787, arriving on 20 January 1788. This marked the founding of Sydney, New South Wales, the first European settlement on the continent.
Convicts transported to Australia were mainly from England, Wales, and Ireland. About 20% of those convicted were female, and a small proportion were political prisoners. Most of the convicts were sentenced in the rapidly growing cities of Britain, where displaced rural populations struggled to find work in an increasingly industrialised world.
The transportation penal system reached its peak in the 1830s, with nearly 7,000 people arriving in Australia in a single year. However, the numbers dwindled in the following decade due to protests against the convict system. The last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia was on 10 January 1868, marking the end of the transportation of convicts to Australia.
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Transportation ended in 1868
Transportation of convicts from England to Australia began in 1787 when the First Fleet of 11 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 nearly 7,000 people arriving in one year. However, by the following decade, the numbers had dwindled as protests against the convict system intensified throughout the colonies.
The continuation of transportation to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) saw the rise of a well-coordinated anti-transportation movement, especially following a severe economic depression in the early 1840s. Transportation was temporarily suspended in 1846 but soon revived due to the overcrowding of British jails and the demand for transportation as a deterrent. In 1850, the Australasian Anti-Transportation League was formed to lobby for the permanent cessation of transportation.
The last convict ship to be sent from England, the St. Vincent, arrived in 1853. However, transportation to Western Australia continued until 1868. During that period, 9,668 convicts were transported on 43 convict ships. The last convict ship arrived in Western Australia on 10 January 1868, marking the end of transportation from England to Australia.
The transportation penal system involved the mass exile of convicts, coerced labour, invasion, dispossession, and genocide. It contributed to thousands of lives suffering great hardship as punishment for minor crimes committed in the UK. The end of transportation in 1868 marked a shift in attitudes towards crime and punishment, with a focus on colonial self-government and the abolition of slavery.
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Frequently asked questions
England started shipping convicts to Australia in 1787.
England stopped sending convicts to Australia in 1868.
England started sending convicts to Australia as an alternative to execution. The American colonies were the main destination for convict transportation in the 18th century. However, after the American War of Independence, America refused to accept any more convicts. As prisons in England became overcrowded, Australia was chosen as the new site for a penal colony.
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