When did the British start sent prisoners to Australia?

When did the British start sent prisoners to Australia?

1788
Between 1788 and 1868, about 162,000 convicts were transported from Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia. The British Government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 18th century.

Why did Britain start sending convicts to Australia?

Between 1788 and 1868 more than 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia. The convicts were transported as punishment for crimes committed in Britain and Ireland. In Australia their lives were hard as they helped build the young colony.

When did the first free settlers arrive in Australia and why?

The First Fleet arrived in Australia in 1788 carrying more than 700 convicts to start a new penal settlement at Sydney. Additional convict ships arrived in 1790 and 1791. Those early fleets also brought hundreds of free people to the colony, mostly soldiers and their families.

Why did free settlers come to Australia?

The English free settlers went to Australia to be free. They wanted to make money as well. They also wanted to explore Australian families who wanted a better life with their children. Some people called the English Free settlers “pilgrims”.

When did the first white man came to Australia?

While Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, and traded with nearby islanders, the first documented landing on Australia by a European was in 1606. The Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon landed on the western side of Cape York Peninsula and charted about 300 km of coastline.

When did the British start sending convicts to Australia?

Convicts in Australia. Between 1788 and 1868, about 162,000 convicts were transported by the British government to various penal colonies in Australia. The British government began transporting convicts overseas to American colonies in the early 18th century.

When did the British begin to settle in Australia?

Colonial period, 1788–1901. British settlement of Australia began as a penal colony governed by a captain of the Royal Navy.

What was the history of Australia from 1788 to 1850?

The history of Australia from 1788 to 1850 covers the early colonial period of Australia’s history, from the arrival in 1788 of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney, who established the penal colony, the scientific exploration of the continent and later, the establishment of other Australian colonies.

Who was the first person to colonise Australia?

Admiral Arthur Phillip founded the penal colony of New South Wales on January 26, 1788 — still the controversial date of Australia’s national day — and set convicts to work according to their skills, planting the seeds of the first European settlement to colonise the Australian continent.