The Birth of Britain in Australia -1788

Around 1766, it was suggested that Britain should exploit Australia and its surrounding regions for its riches. Only after the loss of American colonies did it become a serious plan for the British, who now wanted to find alternative land to settle a new British colony. Australia was chosen to settle this new British colony, beginning in 1788. The plan was to send convicts, mainly those convicted of trivial crimes, but convicts who were skilled in a trade that would be useful in building up the infrastructure and new life of the colony.
It is a common misconception to believe that the colonization of Australia by sending British convicts was because of the overcrowding of the British prison system or as a severe punishment for their crimes. In fact, the British were at first reluctant to enslave the current Australian inhabitants,the Aborigines, and so sent convicts to help build the new colony. Before convicts fully completed their sentences they were sent to help colonise in exchange for their pardon, and were allocated a piece of land to work on in Australia.


On 13 May 1787, the First Fleet that would establish the British colony in Australia, left Portsmouth and set sail for Botany Bay. It consisted of 11 ships and approximately 1530 people, 736 of which were convicts.They eventually decided to place their settlement at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This day is now known as Australia's National Day. The settlement was named after the British Home Secretary, Viscount Sydney.

Governor Phillip, who had been under command of the initial sail to Australia had complete authority of the new inhabitants of the colony.Phillips aimed to created harmonious relations with the prior inhabitants of Australia, while also reform the convicts of the new colony. The punishments for those convicts who disobeyed were harsh, with discipline including the likes of flogging (which involved lashes) or confinement.

Convicts were assigned to those settlers that had arrived in Australia free. In return for allowing the convicts to work for them and providing them with food, the land was given to the free settlers free of expense. Female convicts were given work as well with many going into domestic service for the soldiers or marines that had also travelled to colonise Australia. Many of the female convicts were also forced into prostitution alongside domestic service.However few of the first arriving convicts actually had the necessary skills required for colonization, making colonization only more difficult. Convicts that finished their sentence normally remained as settlers, taking upon convicts onto their own land.


Life for the new colonial inhabitants was difficult. The lack of understanding of Australia's seasons meant the initial attempts of farming and agricultural works failed. Many of the new convicts arrived in unhealthy states, but their health deteriorated only further due to the lack of sufficient sustenance and from the hard labour on the settlements. Supplies from overseas were low and so starting up agriculture was difficult. However the ships began to arrive more frequently to the Australian shores, reducing the huge isolating feeling that the inhabitants had. These ships brought supplies and improved conditions. In 1789, a former convict, James Ruse managed to successfully produce a wheat harvest. This was followed by many other successful harvests by other inhabitants and soon the colony was growing a sufficient amount of food for itself.

This was only the beginning of British Australian history. The British would go on to explore further into the regions of Australia and there would be future rebellions among the new inhabitants and the initial occupiers of Australia, the Aborigines. There would also be great injustice towards the Aborigines. Nonetheless it can be seen that the colonizing of the British in Australia gave birth to the Australia we now know today.

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