Why did England decide to colonize Australia?

Answer 1

Following a disagreement with North America and the resulting American War of Independence, the English were no longer able to transport surplus prisoners who couldn't legally be executed to North America.

British prisons were becoming hugely overcrowded but, luckily, Australia had been declared part of the British Empire and so England now had somewhere to send their prisoners and, in 1788, decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

Further information:

England decided to colonise Australia for the following reasons:

1. To expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in that part of the Pacific.

2. The continent had Natural Resources which England wanted.

3. Primarily, as above, to solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons by establishing a new penal colony in a land which showed promise of eventually becoming self-supporting.

4. Sir Joseph Banks, one of three botanists aboard James Cook's The Endeavour which charted the eastern coast of Australia in 1770, was a passionate advocate of British settlement and colonisation of the Australian continent. Cook claimed the eastern coast of Australia ("New South Wales") for Britain in 1770. It was largely upon his and Banks's recommendation that Australia ultimately was colonised.

Although English pirate and explorer William Dampier, who also landed in the northwest, dismissed the continent as habitable, James Cook came across the eastern side one hundred years later. He saw the promise and the fertility of the land - hence the recommendation for colonisation.

Colonisation was simplified for Britain, which was able to prove to the satisfaction of the judicial system that Australia was terra nullius - a land without ownership - because the English found difficulty in locating any individual(s) able to negotiate a treaty with the indigenous inhabitants; this concept was first tested and found valid in 1827.

The fact that there were local inhabitants all over the continent didn't make much impression on the colonists, except for their nuisance value or as cheap or free labour: they'd no written language that Europeans found comprehensible, didn't wear clothes, and built nothing recognisable as houses; settlers viewed them in much the way they viewed kangaroos and possums.

The terra nullius ruling was eventually overturned by the Australian High Court in 1992 (the Mabo decision) and later reinforced by the Wik decision in 1996.

It is important to note that, although other countries had the opportunity to colonise Australia, they chose not to. Australia was first "officially" discovered by Dutch traders in the East Indies: however, they landed in the west, one of the least forgiving areas of the continent and decided that it was not worth colonising. Likewise the French, hearing of the Dutch discovery, sent an expedition to map more of the coast. This did not, however, lead to any attempts to colonise and the continent was left alone for another hundred years. It was not until James Cook's journey to the fertile east coast that Australia's potential was realised.

Answer 2

Imperialism has become a modern word with critical undertones, and using value-loaded words helps preconceptions rather than helping understanding. England established a military colony with convict workers in 1788 as part of a chain of military stations to protect its highly important and valuable trade in the east - India, China and South East Asia. This chain of military stations included Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Andaman Islands and New South Wales, with later additions such as Singapore and Hong Kong. The military colony in New South Wales had secondary purposes, one of which was to establish supplies of masts and flax for sails for the British navy, as the usual sources from the Baltic were liable to disruption. Cook had noted suitable trees at Norfolk Island and flax in New Zealand. Lieutenant King was dispatched immediately from Port Jackson to Norfolk Island, collecting some flax plants and Maoris on the way (as it turned out, the Norfolk pines were found to be useless as masts as they were infested with borers, and the abducted Maori men didn't have a clue on flax dressing - womens work). The colony's purpose was then extended to regular settlement and commercial production, with also a mind to pre-empting French intrusion, with settlements at Port Phillip in 1803, Van Diemen's Land 1804, Moreton Bay 1824, Port Essington 1824, Swan River 1829 and South Australia 1836 progressively establishing physical ownership of the continent.

Answer 3

At the time of the colonisation of Australia, the United Kingdom was driven by the desire to expand the British Empire. Great Britain, along with France, Spain and Portugal were all at the centre of a push to expand their empire, acquiring as many lands as they could in their drive for power. There were several reasons why Australia was colonised:

1. To expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in the southwest Pacific.

2. To solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons (a consequence of 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.

3. Australia could provide commercial and political gains to Britain, which also wanted to exploit its natural resources.

4. Due to war, Britain needed to find an alternative supply of Flax and timber as her Baltic supply was under threat. It was believed that nearby Norfolk Island would provide this.

5. Britain needed a port in the East to promote trade with China and to extend its naval and commercial power. Australia was close to the famed Spice Islands, or Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and the trade in spices was still very lucrative.

The first permanent settlers arrived in Australia with the First Fleet on 26 January 1788 to set up the new penal colony.

Answer 4

Imperialism. they had to own everything. much like America today if you ask me.