In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, explorers from several European nations discovered various parts of Australia, but initially no nation put forward concrete proposals for either the use or the settlement of the land. Dutch explorers first discovered Australia in 1606, but they considered it as being of no economic value to their mother country. British explorers were more fortunate when, in 1768, Lieutenant James Cook, the appointed Commander of His Majesty’s ship Endeavour, discovered the more inhabitable east coast of Australia. In 1770, the British government claimed the eastern half of Australia for the British realm and King George III named it New South Wales.
At this time, no plans were put forward for the settlement of British people in Australia, or for any other use of the land – it became just another part of the Empire. However, in the years following Captain Cook’s discovery, the idea of the newly found land in the far distance began to attract the British government, including the possible use of Australia for convict deportation.
Eventually, the first settlement was a penal one and this is now generally considered to be the main reason for settlement, but the analysis of other factors such as non-convict settlers, economic exploitation of the land, empire building, and the use for strategic military purposes, suggests that convict deportation might have been initially just a convenient solution for a social problem: the disposal of the growing number of convicts that were crowded in hulks along the River Thames. Subsequent naval explorations came to suggest substantial benefits for safeguarding British interests: advantages in the competition for trade with Asia and, most importantly, the strengthening of the British Empire.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, explorers from several European nations discovered various parts of Australia, but initially no nation put forward concrete proposals for either the use or the settlement of the land.
- At this time, no plans were put forward for the settlement of British people in Australia, or for any other use of the land it became just another part of the Empire.
- For Britain, Australia came into focus when, due to the loss of Britain of the North American colonies during the American Revolution in the 1770s, the British government could no longer transport its long-term convicts to America.
- Crucial points in the discussion were, which penal practice would be the cheapest and most effective, and which could even produce benefits from the convict's labour.
- By 1785, the situation in the congested gaols and equally overcrowded insanitary hulks had deteriorated.
- Moreover, Lord Sydney saw advantages from the cultivation of certain plants, beneficial to the British as a naval power.
- The First Fleet, comprising eleven ships and carrying 750 convicts, and under the command of Captain Arthur Philip, arrived at Botany Bay, Sydney, in 1788.
- In addition, Captain Phillip also feared the lack of a positive attitude by the convicts, therefore their not being of service to the State, and their showing lack of engagement in farming activities.
- What started with the alleviating of a pressing problem in Britain was soon able to include the other initial ideas such as the exploitation of natural resources, seeking trade advantages, and the settlement of non-convicts, effectively replacing the lost colonies of North America.
- Eventually, the Government granted that land to the settlers, which gave them an even better incentive to work hard:
- Settlement spread to other parts of Australia, not primarily for penal purposes, but as agricultural and economical venues.
- Twenty-three years later, the reasons for settlement in Tasmania (known then as Van Diemen's Land), were even more commercial with a focus on timber, crops and fishery.
- By this time, Britain was not the only nation with an interest in colonies abroad as originally anticipated, and it faced a challenge from several other nations, with each seeking to be the first and to secure new land for its own empire-building, with an increasing focus on economic profits.
- The use of Australia as a penal colony was therefore a convenient solution for a pressing problem, but this motivation for settlement cannot be accepted as the sole and universally valid one.
- Building on the convict's cheap labour, colonizing Australia appeared feasible for the British government.
- Fazit
- Literaturverzeichnis
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte
This essay aims to analyze the statement "Australia was founded exclusively as a penal colony" by examining the historical context and motivations behind the British colonization of Australia. It explores the various factors that contributed to the establishment of the first settlements, including the need to address the growing convict population in Britain, the potential for economic exploitation, and the strategic importance of securing the land for the British Empire.
- Convict Transportation and Penal Practices
- Economic Exploitation and Agricultural Development
- Strategic Importance and Empire Building
- The Role of Free Settlers and Non-Convict Labor
- The Impact of Colonialization on Indigenous Australians
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel
The essay begins by outlining the early exploration of Australia by European powers, highlighting the initial lack of interest in settlement. It then focuses on the growing problem of convict transportation in Britain and the search for alternative solutions. The essay explores the role of Sir Joseph Banks and his proposal to establish a penal colony in Botany Bay, as well as the arguments put forward by Lord Sydney in favor of colonization. The establishment of the First Fleet and the arrival of convicts in 1788 are discussed, along with Captain Arthur Phillip's concerns about the mixing of convicts and settlers and the need for free labor. The essay then examines the development of agricultural production in Australia, the expansion of settlement to other parts of the continent, and the increasing importance of economic and strategic considerations. The essay concludes by arguing that while convict transportation was a significant factor in the initial colonization of Australia, it was not the sole motivation. The British government was also driven by economic and strategic interests, as well as the desire to secure the land for the Empire before other European powers could claim it.
Schlüsselwörter
The keywords and focus themes of the text include Australia, British colonization, penal colony, convict transportation, economic exploitation, empire building, strategic importance, free settlers, agricultural development, and Indigenous Australians. The essay explores the complex motivations behind the colonization of Australia, highlighting the interplay of penal, economic, and strategic factors.
- Citation du texte
- Sandra Miller (Auteur), 2003, Australia as a Penal Colony, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/293384
