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After convict transportation stopped in 1868 it was just a natural development that instead of recognizing them as just criminals we recognized them as some of the first people to colonize Australia. It hasn't really been an intentional thing it has just turned out that way. Many of the convicts who were banished here had completely turned there lives around because as the time it was much easier to make a good life for yourself. The convicts were accompanied by soldiers and free settler's from european countries who used the convicts as slaves but quite a few of the convicts died on the voyage due to unsanitary and cramped conditions. They often were kept in jail cells not much bigger than a public toilet cubicle and they had no regular access to water or toilet facilities so often they just had to relieve themselves in the corner of their cells like animals would!
The convicts were often convicted of petty crimes that today would be considered a trivial thing like shoplifting,public drunkenness, theft of cattle from a farm, pickpocketing etc. Serious crimes such as murder,rape,arson,or child molestation were punished by public execution not transportation to Australia.
Once the survivors of the long journey had finally got off the boat they would have found themselves in a very strange place than what they were used to. They would have found the flora and fauna very strange and the climate is much much warmer than England so it took them a while to grow accustomed to their new life. They often had to do a minimum on 7 years slave labour for free settlers and the soldiers were stationed to guard them and repel attacks from aboriginal tribes. Many of the convicts who had finished there slave labour were granted free land rights and some of them chose to purchase a ticket to return back to england but most of them decided to stay as the air was much cleaner,much better living space due to england being very overpopulated even to this day. The land was virtually untouched by human activity so many of them became farmers.
My ancestor was part of a rebel group in Ireland who was caught making weapons and gunpowder so he was deported to Australia from ireland and had to do 15 years slave labour and once he was finished he received a free plot of land near the town of fremantle which was one of the first white settlements in Western Australia. He started a farming project where he provided rye grain for the town and made a considerable profit for the time.
Some convicts have actually become quite famous now and are known here for some of there achievements despite there very humble origins. One person named william chopin was a convict who was chosen to work in prison hospitals and later was granted skills in chemistry. He was granted a ticket of leave but chose to remain in Australia and started his own chemical store. Quite a funny story he was actually convicted of being an abortionist some time in the future.
Henry kable was another case where he was deported to Australia for an unknown crime and was sentenced to the normal 7 years slave labour and became a very wealthy businessman a long time after he was first convicted.
So despite that quite a few of us have a convict ancestor we also like to recognize what they have made for us as most of us a very happy living here and we don't normally take offence for people trying to offend us for having humble origns. Due to european Immigration to Australia after convict transportation stopped there are many people here who have no convict ancestors but the ones that do like me are not usually bothered by it. After all it was around 230 years ago when the first fleet first dropped them off here. Most of us are actually happy that the English decided to deport convicts here otherwise we would never be here and we like being here hehe
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