would all have contributed enormously to the development of the civilisation. A multitude of vacancies was on offer to convicts. Some convicts were, therefore, instantly employed by free settlers, however, when the penal colony was first established, free settlers were a small minority of the functioning population in the newly founded colonies.The free settlers were individuals or communities who decided to migrate to Australia, enticed by the prospect of a better quality of life and new opportunities, free from the constraints and formalities of Britain at the time. As the free settler community took time to build, it was, however, more common that offenders stayed at the barracks for months, or even years, working for the government. ‘Assignment’ was also a relatively common occupation for felons, whereby a convict worked for a private landowner, usually completing intensive manual labour on farms far from Sydney.The aims of Assignment were to reduce the growing number of convicts the government had to look after, whilst simultaneously providing farmers with cheap labour, (in the hope that it would encourage a large modal shift), and the arrival of a large number of free settlers in Australia. To incentivise free settler migration, they did not have to pay the ‘assigned’ convicts for their work; however, it was mandatory to provide them with the essentials: food, clothes and shelter.Additionally, private landowners could apply for convicts with specialised skills, which made the prospect of migrating to Australia even more appealing for certain entrepreneurs. Some assigned convicts stayed as paid workers once they had finished their sentence, as they were well looked after by their masters (Sydney Living Museums, 2019). Without a doubt, there was an evident gender divide regarding the forms of servitude required of convicts. Men mostly worked outdoors as labourers, fulfilling tasks such as: clearing land, harvesting crops, looking after vegetable gardens, or feeding and caring for animals in order to provide an established food source for the colonists. Female felons were often assigned to work indoors as domestic servants; work that included washing clothes, cleaning, and cooking (Sydney Living Museums, 2019). This understanding of the origin of transportation is important to help assess the extent to which the success of Australia is based upon the presence of transported convicts.To evaluate their overall success, I focus upon three key criteria: social influence, political influence and the economic achievements attributable to convicts. I analyse their achievements relative to those of the free settlers, colonial officials/ruling classes and more generally to progress in England compared to that in Australia.
Eight years after transportation to American had ended, it was felt that the large number of men on board prison hulks, draining government finances, could be more usefully employed in Britain’s proposed settlement in the southern hemisphere.The 1784 Convict Transportation Act provided the legal basis to resume transportation as a regular procedure – but this time the destination was Australia - to relieve the intense pressure built in the gaols and hulks. Ultimately, Botany Bay, lying just south of Sydney in New South Wales, was chosen as the next penal colony. On 13 May 1787, the First Fleet carrying 778 convicts departed from Portsmouth.The fleet consisted of six transport vessels under contract from private owners, as well as three store ships. On 18 January 1788, the Supply was the first ship to arrive at Botany Bay, two days prior to the remaining fleet after a voyage of eight months (Australian National Maritime Museum, n.d). Botany Bay was soon found to be an inappropriate destination for the convict camp. The location was excessively exposed, offering no shelter from the strong easterly winds, poor quality fresh water and a swampy surrounding landscape.Therefore, the expedition explored the coast further north and established Sydney Cove.The harbour was said to be described as, ‘without exception, the finest and most extensive harbour in the universe and at the same time the most secure, being safe from all winds that blow,’ according to Captain Philip (Hawkins, 2012). New South Wales was then home to the condemned criminals for approximately 50 years up until 1840, however, convicts of the ‘worst character’ were often transferred to Van Diemen’s Land further south. Much to the relief of the authorities and free settlers, the hauling of convicts to New South Wales ceased and, instead, from 1842, they were sent directly to either Van Diemen’s Land (later known as Tasmania), or Norfolk Island (a small island in the Pacific Ocean to the east of Australia) (Hawkins, 2012). Most convicts transported to Australia would have either been quite poorly educated or illiterate, therefore it is particularly interesting to see how Australia developed into such a strong economy without the benefit of a large, well- educated population.Whilst the prospect of the convicts establishing a successful colony looked unlikely, evidence would suggest that they defied expectations, and the country rapidly became a prominent member of the British empire. Convicts therefore must have had other qualities to contribute, and it is widely recognised that there was a large spectrum of skills on offer, ranging from unskilled labourers to the more skilled mechanics, who could be employed as carpenters or stonemasons.Additionally, religious revolutionaries or strong physiques
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