Lyla Lindsey
The British settlement of Australia began as a penal colony, with convicts sent by the British government forming the majority of the population in the early colonial years. However, there were also some free settlers—people who chose to leave their homes in Britain and start anew in the colony. The first free settlers, who arrived in 1793, were typically quite prosperous and paid their way to Australia. To encourage free settlement among the less wealthy, the British colonial government began to pay the transportation costs for many migrants in the early 1800s. Free settlements were established in Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania) in 1803, and later in the Swan River Colony in Western Australia in 1829. The Province of South Australia, founded in 1836, was the only British colony in Australia to begin as a free settlement and remain that way.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of establishment of free settlements | 1829 |
| Location | Swan River Colony in Western Australia |
| Modern-day locations | Fremantle and Perth |
| Type of colony | First convict-free and privatised colony in Australia |
| Number of settlers by 1850 | 5,000 |
| Year of accepting convicts | 1850 |
| Reason for accepting convicts | Acute shortage of labour |
| Year of establishment of South Australia | 1836 |
| Type of settlement | Privately financed settlement based on the theory of "systematic colonisation" |
| Type of labour used | Convict labour was banned |
| Aim of banning convict labour | Attract "respectable" families and promote a balance between male and female settlers |
| Number of immigrants from the UK from 1821 to 1850 | 200,000 |
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What You'll Learn
The Swan River Colony, Western Australia
The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement or just Swan River, was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River in Western Australia. It was the first convict-free and privatised colony in Australia, with its capital at Perth. The colony was founded by Captain James Stirling, who explored the area in 1827 and lobbied for the establishment of a free settlement with himself as governor. Stirling's lobbying emphasised the agricultural potential of the area, and his efforts were aided by rumours in London that the French intended to establish a penal colony in Western Australia.
The Swan River Colony was established at the sites of modern-day Fremantle and Perth. The first ship to reach the Swan River was HMS Challenger, which arrived in April 1829, and Captain Charles Fremantle declared the Swan River Colony for Britain on 2 May. Captain Stirling arrived the following month with the first group of European settlers on the Parmelia, establishing the future port of Fremantle. The colony was renamed the Colony of Western Australia in 1832, though the name Swan River Colony remained in informal use for many years.
The Swan River Colony struggled in its early years, hampered by poor soil, a dry climate, and a lack of capital and labour. Food shortages left the settlers close to starvation, and many fled the colony. By 1832, only 1,500 people remained, and the colony faced an economic depression in 1843. In 1849, the British government changed Western Australia from a free colony to a penal colony to improve the economy and ensure the colony's development. The colony then began to prosper, with new buildings and roads constructed, and the economy growing.
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Launceston and Hobart, Tasmania
Free settlements in Australia were established in Launceston and Hobart, Tasmania. Launceston is a city in northern Tasmania, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers, which become the Tamar River. It is one of Australia's oldest cities, settled by Europeans in March 1806. The city has a rich history and was named after Launceston, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.
The settlement of Launceston faced challenges in its early years, including stock losses, poor soil, food shortages, and episodes of robbery. Despite these difficulties, the city grew and prospered, with almost 2 million acres of land granted to free settlers in the 1820s. The discovery of tin and gold in the region further fueled its growth, and Launceston transformed from a small town into an urban centre.
Hobart, the state capital of Tasmania, is located in the south of the island. It was a significant centre for the British settlement of Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania) and faced challenges such as disease epidemics in the 1820s. Hobart experienced significant growth and development throughout the 19th century, with the construction of landmarks like the Richmond Bridge and the establishment of institutions like the Tasmanian Turf Club.
The early colonial years of Australia saw the arrival of both convicts transported by the British government and free settlers who chose to leave their homes in Britain. The British colonial government encouraged free settlement by offering land grants and providing agricultural tools and convict labour to assist in establishing farms. The Swan River Colony in Western Australia, founded in 1829, was the first convict-free and privatised colony in Australia. South Australia, founded in 1836, was the only British colony in Australia that began and remained a free settlement.
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Queensland
In 1842, the first free settlers arrived in Queensland, and land sales took place. The Moreton Bay district was quite remote, and there was a lack of understanding of the region in Sydney, so there were only about 2,000 settlers in the mid-1840s. In 1840, pioneer rancher Patrick Leslie ventured onto the downs at Warwick with sheep, and in 1849, the first crop farmers arrived.
In 1851, a public meeting was held to consider Queensland's separation from New South Wales. Queen Victoria granted approval, and in 1859, the colony of Queensland was proclaimed. The new colony had a population of 25,000, and its capital was Brisbane.
Gold was discovered in Queensland in 1858, and towns sprang up overnight as miners converged to stake their claims. As gold became harder to find, restrictions were imposed so that Chinese miners, who had also joined the rush, could not compete. By the late 1880s, Queensland had become a significant Australian colony, with exports including wool, gold, minerals, sugar, and animal products. Queensland also had its own defence force, which it sent to the Boer War in 1899.
In the early 1860s, Queensland became the first state in Australia to offer free secondary education when the government subsidised municipalities to set up grammar schools.
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Moreton Bay, Brisbane
The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, located on the traditional Turrbal and Yuggera land, operated from 1824 to 1842 as a place of secondary punishment for convicts who had committed serious offences. Led by Captain Henry Miller, the settlement was established on the Redcliffe Peninsula on Moreton Bay in September 1824. It was the first European settlement in what later became the colony of Queensland.
The specific area of the settlement was named Humpybong, meaning "empty shelters", by the original inhabitants. The settlement was later moved to the north bank of the Brisbane River, now the heart of Brisbane. Moreton Bay was a challenging environment for the convicts, with a severe punishment schedule, inadequate water, and a lack of basic nutrients in their diet.
In 1839, surveyors from Sydney were sent to the district to prepare for the opening of Moreton Bay to free settlement. On February 10, 1842, Governor Gipps declared Moreton Bay open for free settlement, and it became the city of Brisbane. This marked the end of its period as a penal settlement, and the district was now open to free settlers.
The establishment of free settlements in Australia was encouraged through various means. The British colonial government offered free land to those who migrated, on the condition that it was used for a productive purpose. Transportation costs were also covered for many migrants, appealing to those facing unemployment and poverty in Britain due to the Industrial Revolution.
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Port Phillip District
The Port Phillip District was a free settlement established in Australia. The first Britons to discover Port Phillip were the crew of the Lady Nelson, led by John Murray, who entered the bay on 15 February 1802. Murray named the body of water Port King after the Governor of New South Wales, Philip Gidley King. On 4 September 1805, King renamed the bay Port Phillip, in honour of his predecessor, Arthur Phillip.
King established a convict settlement at Port Phillip, primarily to assert sovereignty over southern Australia ahead of the French. The original settlement was established in 1803 at Sullivan Bay, near the present-day coastal town of Sorrento. However, it only lasted seven months and was abandoned in 1804.
In 1835, settlers from Van Diemen's Land, led by John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, established Melbourne on the lower reaches of the Yarra River. The Henty family were the first Europeans to settle within the Port Phillip district, now known as Victoria's Western District. Edward Henty, along with his brothers Francis, Stephen, and Thomas, transferred their livestock from Van Diemen's Land, developing a settlement and establishing whaling and farming in the district. Edward Henty was also the founder of the new colony's thriving wool industry.
In 1836, Governor Richard Bourke of New South Wales established the Port Phillip District to address the growing number of illegal settlements in the area. Captain William Lonsdale was appointed as the government's Chief Agent, and grazing rights were granted to squatters for a £10 licence fee. In 1837, Robert Hoddle, a senior surveyor, designed a plan for the new town of Melbourne and served as the auctioneer for the first sale of crown land in Melbourne on 1 June 1837.
The Port Phillip District was initially a part of the colony of New South Wales. However, due to concerns over inequitable allocation of public works revenue and the desire for political separation, a petition for the district's separation was presented to the British House of Commons in 1842. While the petition was not included in the amended constitution, it raised awareness that a majority of colonists in the southern district favoured partition.
In 1851, the Legislative Council of the newly formed colony of Victoria was established, marking the culmination of a 10-year process to separate the Port Phillip District from New South Wales.
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Frequently asked questions
The first free settlers arrived in Sydney in 1788, mostly soldiers and their families. The first people to be considered free settlers arrived aboard the Bellona in 1793.
The Swan River Colony in Western Australia was founded as a free settlement in 1829. South Australia, founded in 1836, was the only colony in Australia to begin as a free settlement and remain that way.
The first free settlers had to pay their way to Australia, so they were typically quite prosperous. The British government also provided free land and agricultural tools to those who migrated, on the condition that the land be used for a productive purpose.
While relations between the Aboriginal peoples and European newcomers were initially friendly, conflict developed as the Europeans expanded their settlements into Aboriginal territory. This led to violent clashes and the deaths of an estimated 20,000 Aboriginal people and 2,000 Europeans.
