What did early settlers bring to Australia and why?

Answer 1

The convicts had no choice: they were sent to New South Wales, as the eastern half of Australia was then known. This was to solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons (a consequence of the massive changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution) by establishing a new penal colony in a land which showed promise for eventually becoming self-supporting. Britain had been sending their excess prisoners to North America, but the American War of Independence put a stop to the practice. Following this, the English were no longer able to transport surplus prisoners who couldn't legally be executed to North America.

The problem, of course, was that the convicts couldn't simply be offloaded and left to their own devices. Soldiers and officers were needed to guard them and to establish the new colony under British authority. Extra incentive was offered to the marines by way of allowing them to bring their families, and offering them land in the new colony upon completion of their terms of service.

This wasn't the only reason why England decided to send its convicts to Australia. There were other very real benefits to Great Britain, which wished to expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in that part of the Pacific. Furthermore, Britain needed a port in the East to promote trade with China and to extend its naval and commercial power. Finally, the continent had Natural Resources which England wanted.

However, there is strong evidence to suggest that the first European settlers in Australia were Dutch sailors stranded after being shipwrecked off the Western Australian coast in the early 1600s.

These European settlers are not to be confused with the Aboriginal people though. Aborigines came to Australia from the Indian subcontinent long before European settlers arrived.

Answer 2

The first official permanent European settlement in Australia was at Port Jackson, the site of the current city of Sydney. It was established by the officers, marines and convicts who arrived on the First Fleet on 26 January 1788. The settlement on the banks of Sydney Cove later became known as Sydney, now Australia's largest city.

The First Fleet was originally destined for botany Bay, but that proved to be an unsuitable site for settlement.

Answer 3

The very first colonists in Australia were a mix of British convicts, officers and marines (and their families, the only free settlers), all of whom came from England.

The convicts had no choice: they were sent to New South Wales, as the eastern half of Australia was then known. This was to solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons (a consequence of the massive changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution) by establishing a new penal colony in a land which showed promise for eventually becoming self-supporting. Britain had been sending their excess prisoners to North America, but the American War of Independence put a stop to the practice. Following this, the English were no longer able to transport surplus prisoners who couldn't legally be executed to North America.

Read more: Why_did_the_British_colonise_Australia

Answer 4

They brought a desire to gain land and farm, creating a new and better life than being landless labourers in England.