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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 James Cook's voyage to the South Pacific in 1770, the previously uncharted continent of New Holland was recommended as a suitable 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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Which colony was mostly inhabited by convicts?
The colony that was mostly inhabited by convicts was Australia. In 1788, the British established a penal colony in New South Wales, which later expanded to include other areas of Australia such as Tasmania. These convicts were sent to Australia as a form of punishment from British prisons.
What were the disadvantages of having convicts in Australia?
Some of the disadvantages of having convicts in Australia included negative impacts on Indigenous populations, spread of disease, strain on resources, and the development of a class system based on criminal history. Additionally, convicts faced harsh living conditions and limited opportunities for rehabilitation.
What country of origin is convicts from?
Convicts originally come from Australia, the term was used to refer to the prisoners who were sent there from the 18th to the early 20th century as part of the British colonial practice of penal transportation.
What happened to the convicts when their sentence was over in Australia?
A sentence for a convict sent to Australia could be many years in length. Because of reasons such as good behaviour, some convicts were given a "ticket of leave". These individuals were still watched however, as some convicts had a tendency to reoffend. They were required to report in regularly to the authorities. While on their ticket-of-leave, they were permitted to work for a living in a trade. After a further period of good behaviour, these convicts were given a "free pardon", meaning they could start their own trade, business, or take up land which may have been allocated to them and use it for farming or crops. Some even became Constables for the colony (for example John Smith). Some of Australia's convicts became great pioneers in their field. Francis Greenway, for example, had trained as an architect prior to his sentence, and his work can be seen in some of the old, gracious buildings still standing in Sydney today. George Howe had a background in printing; he published Australia's first regular newspaper. Convicts rarely, if ever, returned to England, as Australia held much better opportunities for them.
What did the convicts do?
The convicts literally built the colony. They constructed the buildings, roads and bridges and quarried the stone for building as well as cutting down the trees. They established the first farms and crops, and tended the livestock. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradesmen to free settlers. Other, educated convicts were given work that suited their education; for example, one of Australia's most famous convicts was the architect Francis Greenway.
What is Australia's historical relationship to Britain?
Australia was one of Britain's colonies. The first white people to settle in Astralia were British convicts in 1788 or so.
What did the convicts of Western Australia do in 1829?
There were no convicts in Western Australia in 1829. The first convicts in Western Australia only arrived in 1850.
How much money would you have needed to settle in Australia in the 1830s?
Australia was not settled by people who wanted to go. The British shipped convicts there with not much more than the clothes on their backs.
What was the year when convicts first came to Australia?
Convicts first arrived in Australia in January 1788.
How did the convicts travel to Australia?
There was only one way for convicts to travel to Australia, and that was by way of wooden ships.
When were convicts sent to Australia?
Transportation of convicts to Australia ended when the last convict ship left Britain in 1867 and arrived in Australia on 10 January 1868. This ship, the "Hougoumont", brought its final cargo of 269 convicts to Western Australia, as New South Wales had abolished transportation of convicts in 1849.
How many convicts came to Botany Bay?
None. The convicts did not settle at Botany Bay, but at Port Jackson.
where were convicts transported to?
Australia.
What were the convicts collectively called that were sent to Australia?
They were simply called "convicts".
When did the transportation of convicts to Australia end?
Western Australia was the last of the states to have convicts. The last convict ship to Western Australia, the Hougoumont, left Britain in 1867 and arrived in Western Australia on 10 January 1868. Transportation of convicts to Australia ceased after this.
Did South Australia use convicts for labor?
No. South Australia was the only Australian state to never use convicts for labour.
What was unique about the first colonists to settle in Australia?
The first colonists to settle in Australia were a mixture of over 700 convicts sent from Britain, and the officers sent to oversee the new colony, under the command of Governor Arthur Phillip. There were also many marines, some of whom brought their wives and children.
