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Conditions in England in the 18th century were tough: the industrial revolution had made it harder for people to earn an honest wage as simpler tasks were replaced by machine labour. Unemployment rose, and consequently, so did crime, especially the theft of basic necessities such as food and clothing. The authorities elected to clamp down heavily on people for minor penalties, hoping to stem the tide of rising crime.
The British prison system was soon full to overflowing, and a new place had to be found to ship the prison inmates. The American colonies were no longer viable, following the American war of Independence. England had resorted to using old ships - hulks - to place the convicts at night, but they were extremely unhealthy and overcrowded. Also, the West Indies and Africa were unsuitable due to disease and climate, and India already crowded.
Following Captain Cook's voyage to the South Pacific in 1770, the previously uncharted continent of New Holland proved to be suitable as a prospective site for colonisation. Cook had claimed the eastern half of the continent for England, naming it "New South Wales", and determined that a small bay in the south which he named "botany Bay" would present the ideal conditions for a penal colony. The main recommendation came from botanist Sir Joseph Banks, whose influence helped push through legislation authorising the plan to send a colony of convicts and officers to New South Wales on 6 December 1784. Within two years, the formal decision was made to send a colonisation party of convicts, military and civilian personnel specifically to Botany Bay, New South Wales, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, who was appointed Governor-designate.
A colony which established Britain's claim on Australia would also help expand the British Empire and provide a physical presence in the south Pacific. This held both strategic and economic/trade advantages for England. Also, the presence of a colony would enable England to lay claim to Australia during a time when France was rapidly expanding its empire as well.
The First Fleet carried 775 convicts on board six transport ships, accompanied by officials, crew, marines and their families who together totalled another 645. Besides the convict transports, the First Fleet consisted of two naval escorts and three storeships. The First Fleet departed Portsmouth, England, in May 1787, and arrived in Australia on 18 January 1788. Botany Bay proved unsuitable, so the fleet moved north to Port Jackson, where Phillip raised the British flag on 26 January 1788.
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Why is South Australia special?
South Australia is the only Australian state to not have been founded by convicts, or to have had convict settlement in its history.
Which state or colony in Australia did not use convicts for labor?
South Australia is the only Australian state or colony with no history of convict settlement.
Why was the settlement of South Australia different from other states?
South Australia was the only state to have never had convicts. Unlike the eastern colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, the first settlement in South Australia was not a penal settlement; and unlike Western Australia, it did not engage convict labour later on.
Australia was orginally established as a?
Australia was originally established as a convict colony. Prisoners from Britain were sent to New South Wales, the site of the first European settlement in Australia, in 1788.
Which states of Australia were settled by free settlers?
South Australia and Western Australia were the two Austalian colonies to be settled by free settlers alone, with no convict presence. Only South Australia, however, remained convict-free, as Western Australia campaigned to have convicts to use as free labour about fifteen years after the initial settlement.
Why did south Australia have no convict settlement?
The colony of South Australia was not established as a convict settlement because, by the 1830s, on further penal colonies were required in Australia. The main reason for settlement in South Australia is that the British Government wished to establish a colony on the southern coast, securing its claim against the possibility of French incursions.
What was Australia was established as?
Australia was originally established as a penal colony, or convict settlement. The first Europeans to permanently settle in the country were British prisoners, and the officers and marines who led and guarded them.
What was the first settlement in Australia called and what is it called today?
The first settlement in Australia was Sydney Town, now just known as Sydney. It was established at Port Jackson, with the arrival of the first eleven convict ships from England, known as the First Fleet.
What does Norfolk Island have to do with Australia?
Norfolk Island is one of Australia's seven offshore territories. It was established as a convict settlement soon are the First Fleet arrived in Port Jackson, Sydney in 1788. Philip Gidley King was commissioned by Governor Arthur Phillip to star a new convict settlement, and he left with fifteen convicts and seven free settlers in February 1788.
What year did convict labor get introduced in Australia?
Convict labour was introduced in Australia with the first European settlement. This occurred with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. Convicts were assigned to work parties, whether they be the road gangs, constructing buildings or as helpers to the free settlers establishing farms.
What was the first settlement that was made in Port Jackson?
The first European settlement in Port Jackson was a convict settlement.
Where was the first place for the convict colony in 1788?
The first convict colony in Australia, established by the people of the First Fleet in 1788, was Sydney Cove, at Port Jackson. The settlement was given the name of Sydney Town, which was later shortened to just Sydney.
