Australia and the Transport of Convicts

What was Australia in the British Empire?

In 1770 the British explorer James Cook explored the eastern coast of Australia. He claimed it for Britain and it became known as New South Wales. Britain would eventually take over the whole of Australia.

When did Australia become part of the British Empire?

The first Australian colony was established in May 1787.

Who migrated to Australia?

The early migrants to the Australian colonies were mainly transported convicts.

• ❖ The British government wanted Australia to be used as a place to send criminals too, to help lift the burden off Britain's crowded jails.
• ❖ In 1787, the 'First Fleet' carried over 700 British convicts (men and women) to Australia. By the 1830s, around 3,000 convicts were arriving in Australia every year.
• ❖ The transportation of convicts ended in 1868. By then, nearly 190,000 men and women had migrated to Australia in this way.
• ❖ The convicts were used to build settlements, where they lived and worked. Depending on how well they behaved, they could earn an early release.
• ❖ Many ex-convicts decided to stay in Australia after serving their sentence. It offered an opportunity for a fresh start. Most of them became sheep or wheat farmers.