History of Colonial Australia
The survival story of the convicts in colonial Australia must be set against the historical background to Australia's formation, which in turn was colored by Britain's late 18th-century social and political strife. After the American War of Independence (1775–1783), Britain could no longer send convicts to its American colonies. Simultaneously, British jails were packed, crime was rising due to poverty and joblessness, and the government needed a quick solution. Exporting convicts to a distant colony presented a chance to rid society of "unwanted" elements along with dispersing the British Empire.
This was the moment when Joseph Banks, a successful botanist who had accompanied Captain James Cook, gained prominence. After Cook's death in Hawaii in 1779, Banks emerged as the dominant personality in British politics and science. He was a keen advocate of the colony being set up in New South Wales and played a key role in promoting the use of Botany Bay as a potential region of settlement. His influence contributed to the decision to send the First Fleet, partly for imperial ambition and partly because of overcrowding within prisons.
The journey to Australia for the convicts was a journey of suffering and cruelty. The boat trips themselves were cruel and treacherous. The journey was undertaken over a few months, typically in unsanitary conditions. The convicts were placed aboard dirty, crowded vessels, with little room to stand and minimal gear to protect them from disease, which spread so easily in these circumstances. most of the convicts did not survive the journey, either through disease or the brutality of the officers. Dysentery, scurvy, and tuberculosis were rife, and with no medical care, numerous convicts perished before they could arrive in Australia.
The convicts were under a ghastly system upon arrival, one that was shaped by the ghastly nature of the times. While their punishment in the colony was doubtless stiff, it's worth noting that the British authorities themselves were under huge pressure. The officers, who were tasked with maintaining discipline, treated the convicts little better than pieces of equipment to be used as labor, reflective of the wider military attitude and the need to maintain order in a new colony. Violence was used as a control mechanism, with flogging and physical punishment intended to deter rebellion and demonstrate command. The forced labor system was inhuman and ruthless, as convicts were subjected to hard work such as land clearing, constructing infrastructure, and farming in a foreign environment. The severity of the system, in addition to separation from families and homesteads, resulted in suffering and despair among the convicts. But it should also be noted that the British government, under pressure to establish a viable colony, felt these actions were necessary to ensure survival and stability in a new and challenging country.
Despite these incredible challenges, there were a few who survived and even lived comfortably in this unforgiving climate. Aboriginal people also enabled the convicts to survive by assisting them in obtaining food, teaching them how to identify edible plants, how to hunt for meat, and where to obtain fresh water. The survival knowledge was invaluable when rations ran out. The convicts, who at first were strangers in a strange land, resorts to the knowledge and experience of the Indigenous individuals in order to survive.
But in the midst of adversity and brutality, inspiration did occur. Some prisoners, like those who gained early pardons or land, demonstrated that even with the worst of environments, one could rise higher. Other prisoners used their skills in woodworking, metal work, farming, and leadership in helping to establish the colony. Over time, convicts played a crucial role in developing early Australia's infrastructure, from roads to buildings to farms. Their work transformed a penal colony into a living, working nation.
The overriding theme of "obstacles and inspiration" pervades this history. Convicts were transported to Australia as punishment, but their resistance to suffering, their adaptability to settling in a new country, and their willingness to cooperate became the foundation for a new nation. Despite the brutality of the system and the violence that they often received in their treatment, their survival and resilience charted the history of Australia. Their story is a testament that human spirit can persevere even in the worst circumstances and, by sheer willpower and resilience, can lead to change and progress.
This history still drives Australian identity today. The fair go, toughening up, and giving everybody a "fair go" ideals are part of this convict background. Australia wasn't established by the elite, but by everyday folk who conquered amazing odds. Their story provides a powerful reminder that in adverse situations, human spirit can ultimately prevail—and inspiration and progress may emerge from hardship.