History of the Australian Penal Colonies
On August 26, 1768, the HMS Endeavour set sail from England under the command of Captain James Cook, an accomplished navigator, astronomer, and cartographer – a guy who made maps. Cook and his crew of 94 men were instructed to sail to Tahiti, where they would observe and record the transit of the planet Venus across the Sun. After that, Cook had orders to search for Terra Australis Incognita – “the unknown southern land.”
The Endeavor successfully reached Tahiti and recorded the transit of Venus on June 3, 1769. Then, Captain Cook sailed-on to explore the so-called Southern Ocean. He first discovered and mapped New Zealand before traveling further west. On April 19, 1770, Cook spotted the east coast of Australia. He named this land “New South Wales” and claimed it for the British Crown.
James Cook went on to survey about 500 miles of coastline throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. While Cook didn’t discover these lands, the accuracy and extent of his charts and maps were revolutionary for that time in history.
In the 20 years before Captain James Cook first landed in Australia, the population of London had doubled. Jobs disappeared, unemployment soared, and poverty skyrocketed. Large parts of London were truly nasty – filled with trash, disease, and death. It was a scene only hinted at in Charles Dickens novels. And crime — from petty thefts to heinous murders — became the new normal in the streets. All of this came about just as Captain Cook brought Australia to the attention of the British monarchy. Some viewed Cook’s discoveries as Divine timing.
It turns out that since 1597, British law required the transfer of criminals to remote lands. In a statute called, “An Acte for Punyshment of Rogues, Vagabonds, and Sturdy Beggars,” the government declared that offenders “shall be banished out of this Realm … and shall be conveyd to such parts beyond the seas as shall be assigned by the Privy Council.” To return to England after being sent abroad meant death by hanging.
It was this law that allowed British officials to dump convicts on the shores of Virginia in the 1600s. But, in the 1700s, American independence put an end to that practice, and felons once again plagued the streets of London. The rising crime rate in England made Parliament desperate for another solution. After much debate (and with much pleading against the idea by Christians like William Wilberforce), the British finally decided to solve its crime surge by sending shiploads of criminals to Australia. There was no hiding the intent. England was shipping its crisis abroad.
Although the British strategy for transplanting its crime was controversial, it was the beginning of the Western settlement of Australia. It was also the first time Christianity found its way to this remote part of the world.
The first of more than 160,000 British convicts arrived on the shores of Australia in January of 1788. They voyaged under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, who many say pulled off a miracle. He sailed 11 ships more than 1,500 miles over 252 days and didn’t lose a single vessel. Although 48 people died along the way, this was considered a merciful number given the cramped quarters, poor nutrition, and lack of medicine and hygiene.
History of the Australian Penal Colonies
Randall acts as the lead writer for ColdWater’s Drive Thru History® TV series and Drive Thru History® “Adventures” curriculum.
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