Why did the convicts come to Australia?

Answer 1

The convicts came to Australia because they had no choice. Britain's prisons were overcrowded, the Empire wanted to have a presence in the Pacific, and it was the logical solution. No other European nation had yet colonised the Australian continent, so as far as Britain was concerned, the land was freely available.

Answer 2

Australia (or New South Wales, as the eastern half was known in 1788) was regarded as a good place to send convicts because they could not escape from the continent. If they escaped from the settlement, they had nowhere to go. Many were too afraid of the unfamiliarity of the bush and the Aborigines to even attempt to escape.

It is true that many convicts believed they could run away to China, as they had no concept of where or what Australia was. But the bushland in the early years of the colony was literally littered with the bones of convicts who had tried to escape and been unable to survive in the bush.

Answer 3

James Cook did not bring convicts to Australia. Cook was the first to chart the eastern coast, claiming it for the British Empire and naming it "New South Wales". Cook recommended New South Wales as suitable for a penal colony, but he never brought the convicts over. He died before the First Fleet left England.

As to why Britain sent convicts to Australia: see the related question below.

Answer 4

Convicts were sent on the First Fleet to Australia to alleviate difficulties in Great Britain.

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. 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.

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.

In summary:

England decided to colonise Australia for the purpose of convicts 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 and raw materials which England wanted.

3. Primarily: to solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons by establishing a new penal colony in a land which showed promise for 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.

Answer 5

The British decided to send convicts to New South Wales in Australia because it was the best way to colonise the continent, and to maintain a presence in the South Pacifc. They wished to colonise Australia for several 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. 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. After James Cook's successful voyage which involved charting the eastern coast of Australia, New South Wales was seen as a viable proposition for a convict colony. In particular, it was endorsed by Sir Joseph Banks, the influential botanist who travelled with Cook.

3. Australia could provide commercial and political gains to Britain.

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.

Answer 6

Many were given an ultimatum: A long prison term in England (or the gallows) or a free trip to Australia.