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Australia was used as a penal colony by Britain for 80 years, from 1788 to 1868. During this period, over 160,000 convicts were transported to Australia from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, instead of being given the death penalty. The majority of these convicts were sentenced for petty crimes, particularly theft. The establishment of the penal colony in Australia was driven by overcrowding in British prisons and an increase in the sentencing of life imprisonment. The use of Australia as a penal colony also reduced costs for the British government and supported an important British industry—wool.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of establishment of the first penal colony in Australia | 1788 |
| Total convicts transported to Australia | 162,000 |
| Total number of political prisoners among the convicts | 3,600 |
| Year transportation to the penal colonies ended | 1868 |
| Year transportation to the eastern colonies ended | 1848 |
| Year the last convict ship arrived in Western Australia | 1868 |
| Percentage of modern-day Australians descended from convicts | 20% |
| Number of prominent citizens descended from convicts | Several, including former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd |
| Year of establishment of the Macquarie Harbour penal colony | 1820 |
| Year Tasmania was declared a separate colony from New South Wales | 1825 |
| Year of establishment of the Convict Depot at Albany | 1852 |
| Year Western Australia received convicts | 1850 |
| Year of establishment of the Moreton Bay penal colony | 1824 |
| Year of establishment of the Norfolk Island penal colony | 1825 |
| Year of establishment of the Newcastle penal colony | 1804 |
| Year of establishment of the Port Macquarie penal colony | 1821 |
| Year Port Arthur was established | 1830 |
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What You'll Learn
- Overcrowded prisons and a shift from death sentences to life imprisonment
- The success of Oglethorpe's philanthropic vision in Georgia
- The end of convict transportation to America after the American Revolution
- The establishment of New South Wales as a penal colony
- The harsh conditions and treatment of convicts in Australia
Overcrowded prisons and a shift from death sentences to life imprisonment
Overcrowding in British prisons and a shift from death sentences to life imprisonment were key factors in Britain's decision to establish penal colonies in Australia.
In the 18th century, criminal activity was rampant in England, especially in cities, and punishment was often harsh and excessive. Basic courts, which were often the first point of contact for criminals, frequently handed down death sentences to get criminals off the streets and deter others, with little consideration for the severity of the crime. This led to overcrowded prisons and an increase in the number of people facing capital punishment.
The British government acknowledged that the number of people being sentenced to death was becoming unmanageable. In 1718, it declared transportation as an alternative punishment to the death penalty for felonies. Initially, this involved sending convicts to the New World of America, where they were put to work as labour. Between 1718 and 1776, about 30,000 convicts were transported to at least nine of the continental colonies. However, when the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1776, Britain could no longer send convicts to the west, and this is when they turned their attention to Australia.
The First Fleet, which departed England in May 1787, carried the first group of about 800 convicts and 250 marines to Botany Bay in New South Wales, Australia. Botany Bay was deemed unsuitable, and the fleet soon moved north to Port Jackson (now Sydney Harbour), marking the establishment of the first penal colony in Australia. Over the next 80 years, more than 160,000 convicts were transported to various penal colonies in Australia, including Norfolk Island, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Moreton Bay (Queensland), and Western Australia.
The establishment of penal colonies in Australia provided a solution to Britain's overcrowded prisons and allowed for a shift from death sentences to life imprisonment. The convicts transported to Australia were mostly penalised for minor crimes, such as theft, and the harsh conditions they endured in the colonies served as a deterrent to crime in Britain. The use of penal colonies also reduced costs for the British government and supported important industries, such as wool production.
While the conditions in the Australian penal colonies were often harsh and life-threatening, they offered convicts new opportunities. Once they had served their sentences, convicts could choose to remain in Australia, climb the social ladder, and start new lives. This was particularly appealing as it allowed them to escape the stigma of being a criminal in Britain. Today, about 20% of Australians are descendants of convicts, and the country has embraced its history as a penal colony, with sites like the Tasmania Convict Trail and the 11 Australian Convict Sites (now World Heritage Sites) attracting visitors interested in exploring this aspect of Australia's past.
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The success of Oglethorpe's philanthropic vision in Georgia
Britain established penal colonies in Australia to reduce costs, increase terror, and deter crime at home. Penal colonies were also used to support an important British industry, such as wool production.
Now, here is an overview of the success of Oglethorpe's philanthropic vision in Georgia:
James Oglethorpe, a British Army officer, Tory politician, and colonial administrator, founded the Province of Georgia in British North America with a philanthropic vision. Oglethorpe's vision for Georgia was to create a humanitarian refuge for English debtors and criminals, or "the worthy poor," as he called them. He wanted to establish a colony with the utopian goals of no rum, no slaves, and no large landed estates. Oglethorpe's philanthropic interests extended beyond the colony's founding principles. He negotiated treaties with local Indigenous tribes, laid out the city of Savannah, and banned slavery and alcohol.
Oglethorpe's leadership in Georgia included both civil and military power. During the War of Jenkins' Ear, he led British troops against Spanish forces in Florida and successfully defeated a Spanish invasion of Georgia in 1742. However, he also faced criticism for his governance style, particularly his strict regulations and financial issues.
On the other hand, some critics argue that Oglethorpe and the Georgia trustees failed to adapt to the American environment, and his vision for a utopian colony without social issues fell short in the face of local discontent and financial challenges.
Overall, Oglethorpe's philanthropic vision for Georgia had mixed results. While it successfully established a colony with unique humanitarian principles and served strategic military and economic purposes, it also faced challenges and criticisms that ultimately led to Oglethorpe's return to England.
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The end of convict transportation to America after the American Revolution
From the early 1600s until the American Revolution in 1776, British colonies in North America received transported British criminals. Between 1615 and 1699, English courts sent approximately 2,300 convicts to the American colonies. In the 1700s, prior to the end of the practice in 1776, another 52,200 or more arrived. From May 1718 to the outbreak of the American War of Independence in 1775, over 70 per cent of those found guilty at the Old Bailey were sentenced to be transported, compared with less than one per cent in the period from 1700 to March 1718. The outbreak of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) halted transportation to America.
The American Revolution brought transportation to the North American mainland to an end. The remaining British colonies (in what is now Canada) were regarded as unsuitable for various reasons, including the possibility that transportation might increase dissatisfaction with British rule among settlers and/or the possibility of annexation by the United States – as well as the ease with which prisoners could escape across the border.
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The establishment of New South Wales as a penal colony
The establishment of penal colonies in Australia was a response to the overcrowding of British prisons and the ineffectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent. The outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1776 closed off the Thirteen Colonies as a destination for transported convicts, so Britain looked to the east and the ""vast and lonely land"" of Australia.
The First Fleet of 11 ships left Portsmouth, England, on 13 May 1787, carrying around 800 convicts and 250 marines to Botany Bay. However, upon arrival, the site was deemed unsuitable, and the fleet moved north to Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) on 26 January 1788, now marked as Australia Day. The New South Wales colony was officially a penal colony from 1788 to 1840, and it became the premier site of convict Australia, with Sydney as its main location.
The convicts transported to Australia were mostly guilty of petty crimes, particularly theft. However, there were also political prisoners, including dissenters, members of Irish nationalist groups, and those who spoke or acted against the British Empire. The majority of convicts were male, and they were put to work creating infrastructure for the convict system and the colony, including road-building. Female convicts were often assigned to tasks such as laundering clothes, sewing, and spinning.
The conditions in the New South Wales penal colony were harsh, with convicts subjected to severe punishment and long hours of manual labour. However, some argue that the experiences of convicts in Australia were an improvement over what they would have faced in Britain, where they may have been sentenced to death or endured harsh prison conditions. The opportunity to remain in Australia after serving their sentences and the prospect of climbing the social ranks also influenced many convicts' desire to stay in the colony.
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The harsh conditions and treatment of convicts in Australia
Convicts in Australia faced harsh conditions and treatment as part of their punishment. The colonial administration viewed this hard labour as an opportunity for redemption, with Governor Phillip believing that "honest sweat" was the convict's best chance of improvement. Convicts worked from sunrise to sunset, six days a week, and lived under very strict rules. Any infraction of these regulations could result in punishments such as whippings, the wearing of leg irons, or solitary confinement.
The majority of convicts were men, but there were also around 25,000 women. Female convicts typically performed domestic work, serving in the homes of colonial officials and sometimes looking after children. Thousands of women were sent to "female factories" in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, where they spun wool and flax, made blankets and rope, and did needlework, among other tasks. Living conditions in these factories were dreadful, with overcrowding, poor sanitation, and widespread disease.
Male convicts, on the other hand, were often subjected to gruelling work such as road building while chained to other prisoners in chain gangs. Convicts who tried to escape were put in leg irons for long periods, sometimes as long as three years. Those who committed serious offences were sent to secondary penal settlements such as Moreton Bay, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Harbour, or Port Arthur, where living conditions were even harsher and punishments more severe.
The Macquarie Harbour penal colony on the West Coast of Tasmania, established in 1820, was particularly notorious for its harsh conditions. Convicts sent there had usually re-offended during their sentence, and they were treated very harshly, labouring in cold and wet weather and facing severe corporal punishment for minor infractions. Most attempts to escape ended in tragedy, with fugitives either drowning, dying of starvation, or, in at least three recorded instances, turning cannibal.
The Port Arthur penal settlement, established in 1830, was also known for its harsh reputation, although its management was reportedly more humane than that of Macquarie Harbour. Port Arthur was established as a place of "secondary punishment", where colonial reoffenders could be punished with transportation to remote stations.
Convicts in Australia faced long hours of hard labour, strict discipline, and harsh living conditions. However, it is worth noting that good behaviour could lead to rewards such as a ""ticket of leave", enabling convicts to work for wages and live independently, or even a conditional or absolute pardon.
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Frequently asked questions
In the 18th century, criminal activity was extremely common across England, especially in cities. The lack of a police force meant victims of crimes had to hire a mob to locate the perpetrator. As a result, England's prisons became overcrowded, and the death penalty was being used too frequently. Penal colonies were a way to remove criminals from the streets and gaols.
When the American Revolution broke out, the British government could no longer send people to the west. So, in 1787, the British government sent a fleet to colonize Australia.
The Australian penal colony provided prisoners with new and exciting opportunities. Once a convict had served their sentence, they could remain in Australia and climb the social ranks. The food in Australia was of a much better quality than in Britain. However, the journey to Australia was harsh, with 25% of convicts dying on the voyage.
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