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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.
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How many fleets were sent to Australia?
53 fleets were sent from Britain to Australia. these fleets transported a figure of around 162, 000 women and men convicts.
What types of convicts are there?
There are many types of convicts but the main ones are government service convicts, assigned convicts, expirees, emancipists and ticket of leave convicts.
Why were there so many convicts in Australia?
In the erly Victorian age of the U.K. anyone convicted of a felony was transported to Australia. The polcy was known as 'Transportation'. There were thousands of people(convicts) transported under this policy. Hence Australia became a 'nation of convicts'. If one continued to comit felonies in Australia, they were then transported to Norfolk Island, a penal colony. A very small island some 1200 miles east of the Queensland cost of Australia. I have been there and can assure you that it is only about 2 1/2 miles long and 1 mile wide. The Europeans(Australians) , who live there are very pround of their penal past history.
How many slaves were transported from Britain to Africa?
The slaves weren't transported from BRITAN! They were transported from AFRICA to AMERICA!
Australia was founded as a British colony for what?
prisonerspeople convicted of crimesWhilst Australia was founded by convicts, strictly speaking it was not founded for convicts. There were many reasons why the British wished to colonise Australia, and using it as a place to send convicts was an excuse more than a reason.The British colonised Australia to expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in that part of the Pacific. It was expected that Australia could provide commercial and political gains to Britain, and Britain needed a port in the East to promote trade with China and to extend its naval and commercial power.Also, due to war, Britain needed to find an alternative supply of Flax and timber as her Baltic supply was under threat. James Cook had reported that nearby Norfolk Island might be a suitable source, so it was strategic to colonise the nearby continent of Terra Australis.
