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Australia was originally founded as a penal colony; criminals from England and Ireland were "transported" to Australia, as a form of exile. The objective was to get rid of the English criminals without executing them, while building up a self-sufficient colony and British presence in the South Pacific - a strategic move At the time, as England and France were at war.
Although the convicts had the option to return to England, if they had done so, most would have returned to the same conditions that drive them to petty crime in the first place. Australia provided them with far better opportunities, and many of them were excellent tradesmen or even educated people who found themselves unemployed in England. These people had much to offer the developing colonies on the Australian continent, and they had the opportunity to build up real wealth and social standing.
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What was life like for convicts in the gold rush era?
The Convict Era had all but stopped by the time the goldrushes came, at least in the eastern states. Although convicts were still being transported to Western Australia, the goldrushes there did not start until about seven years after transportation finished.
What was life in Britain for the convicts before they came to Australia?
It wasn't a good life for the convicts because all they did was work all day only got 1 pair of new clothes a year got food once a day had no shoes their feet were swollen .
What is the only state in Australia that did not start as convict colony?
South Australia, Western Australia (Swan River) and Victoria (Port Phillip) all did not start as convict colonies.While South Australia always remained convict-free, the settlers of the Swan River colony asked for convicts because they claimed there was the need for convict labour. The first convicts arrived about 15 years after the colony was founded.The Port Phillip District (Victoria) was established by free settlers who were joined by ex-convicts from Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales.
What did the convicts in Australia back in 1703 use to tell time?
Australia was not settled until 1788. After 1788, convicts, if they cared about the time of day at all, would only have cared about meal times and knock-off time.
How many soldiers were on the First Fleet?
There were no murderers on the First Fleet. All the convicts on the First Fleet to Australia were petty thieves or convicted of crimes such as larceny, burglary and forgery.
Why did the convicts go to WA?
Initially, there were no convicts in Western Australia. For the first fifteen years of the colony of Swan River, Western Australia, the people were all free settlers, and did not want to accept convicts. The idea was raised occasionally, mainly by people who wanted convict labour for building projects. The argument for convicts in Western Australia gained impetus in 1845 when the York Agricultural Society petitioned the Legislative Council to bring convicts out from England. Their reasons were that Western Australia's economy was at great risk due to an extreme shortage of labour. Whilst later examination of the circumstances proves that there was no such shortage of labour in the colony, the petition found its way to the British Colonial Office, which in turn agreed to send out a small number of convicts to Swan River. Following the transportation of the first convicts to WA, between 1850 and 1868, 9721 convicts were transported to Western Australia.
Who were the European settlers of Australia?
The very first European settlers in Australia (not including the Aborigines who were the first inhabitants) were a mix of convicts, officers and marines, and free settlers, all of whom came from Britain.
How was most of Australia settled?
Almost all of Australia's six colonies were settled by convicts. New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria all began with convict settlements (although the Victorian one did not succeed). Western Australia started as a free settlement but convicts arrived some 15 years after initial settlement. Only South Australia never had a penal colony.
Why did Western Australia want convicts from England?
For the first fifteen years of the colony of Swan River, Western Australia, the people were all free settlers, and did not want to accept convicts. The idea was raised occasionally, mainly by people who wanted convict labour for building projects. The argument for convicts in Western Australia gained impetus in 1845 when the York Agricultural Society petitioned the Legislative Council to bring convicts out from England. Their reasons were that western Australia's economy was at great risk due to an extreme shortage of labour. Whilst later examination of the circumstances proves that there was no such shortage of labour in the colony, the petition found its way to the British Colonial Office, which in turn agreed to send out a small number of convicts to Swan River. Following the transportation of the first convicts to WA, between 1850 and 1868, 9721 convicts were transported to Western Australia.
Why did Western Australia seek convicts?
For the first fifteen years of the colony of Swan River, Western Australia, the people were all free settlers, and did not want to accept convicts. The idea was raised occasionally, mainly by people who wanted convict labour for building projects.The argument for convicts in Western Australia gained impetus in 1845 when the York Agricultural Society petitioned the Legislative Council to bring convicts out from England. Their reasons were that Western Australia's economy was at great risk due to an extreme shortage of labour. Whilst later examination of the circumstances proves that there was no such shortage of labour in the colony, the petition found its way to the British Colonial Office, which in turn agreed to send out a small number of convicts to Swan River. Following the transportation of the first convicts to WA, between 1850 and 1868, 9721 convicts were transported to Western Australia.
How many convicts were transported to Western Australia?
For the first fifteen years of the colony of Swan River, Western Australia, the people were all free settlers, and did not want to accept convicts. The idea was raised occasionally, mainly by people who wanted convict labour for building projects. The argument for convicts in Western Australia gained impetus in 1845 when the York Agricultural Society petitioned the Legislative Council to bring convicts out from England. Their reasons were that Western Australia's economy was at great risk due to an extreme shortage of labour. Whilst later examination of the circumstances proves that there was no such shortage of labour in the colony, the petition found its way to the British Colonial Office, which in turn agreed to send out a small number of convicts to Swan River. Following the transportation of the first convicts to WA, between 1850 and 1868, 9721 convicts were transported to Western Australia.
What is the difference between the start of colonization in the Americas and Australia?
One of the main reasons that Australia was colonised was so that England would have a location to send its excess numbers of convicts. The first official settlement in Australia was made up of convicts, along with the marines who guarded them, and the officers who oversaw the colony. The First Fleet was a government-authorised fleet, and all rules and laws on the ships were endorsed by the British authorities. North America, on the other hand, was established as a free settlement. Convicts were sent later, and they arrived on contracted ships, not official government ships.
