2007-08-27 20:34:12 · 11 answers · asked by tre 1 in Travel ➔ Australia ➔ Other - Australia
No - it is NOT.
While convicts were sent to Australia, they are NOT the only people that came here. Many Europeans came here to seek a better life. A lot of Irish and Scottish population came here and became our pioneers.
It is not all "penal colony" as some people have the misconception.
2007-08-27 21:02:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Britain used to transport their convicts to America and did so for hundreds of years. The convicts worked the tobacco and cotton fields long with slaves. After the American War of Independence, it was no longer possible to use the USA as a dumping ground for unwanted prisoners and, for a while, the excess were kept in old ships called hulks in English rivers.
When Cook and Banks returned from their 1770 voyage, their enthusiastic reports about Botany Bay led to the area being chosen for a new penal colony and the First Fleet arrived in 1788. Botany Bay was found to be completely unsuitable and a little exploration discovered Port Jackson and a freshwater creek the called the Tank Stream. The colony was established around the stream and given the name of Sydney.
Convicts were transported to all States except South Australia which was settled by free settlers only. There were free settlers on the First Fleet and many more were to follow. The biggest influx came in the 1850s with the gold rushes. The last State to accept convicts was Western Australia and that ended in 1868.
2007-08-28 18:02:58 · answer #2 · answered by tentofield 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
True, we were originally set up as a convict dumping ground. After being sent here the convicts had to start from scratch or starve to death. It was a near run thing.
2007-08-28 07:28:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2007-08-31 23:48:21 · answer #4 · answered by Rove30 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In 1839 the census of Australia said that 60% of the population were serving convicts, 30% were released convicts ........ the rest..... I presume... were their masters.
2007-08-28 10:05:01 · answer #5 · answered by tusitala 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The British used Australia as an place to put their convicts and criminals. We couldn't been that bad, cause we all turned out okay :P
2007-08-28 03:45:32 · answer #6 · answered by alloraspring 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, all the United Kingdoms crooks were shipped to Australia, many died during the journey, if someone was starving, and tried to steal some bread and were caught they would be shipped to Australia
It was eventually stopped as it became to expensive, it was costing millions of pounds (£)
2007-08-28 03:43:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It was settled as an English prison colony with a very small population, one result of which is that most of their descendants today look a lot like each other, the men especially. It was a strange experience to notice this when I went there years ago. But the beer is damn good.
2007-08-28 03:46:00 · answer #8 · answered by hznfrst 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I think it served as the Alcatraz of the UK when it was still a British colony.
2007-08-28 03:42:47 · answer #9 · answered by 123mantobeat456 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yeah Im glad it was, Im here and Im a real con artist.
2007-08-28 09:08:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋