the first convicts went to australia in 1788.
when did the first convicts go to australia?
1788
bullet::::- 14 june 1825 – the colony of van diemen's land is established in its own right; its name is officially changed to tasmania on 1 january 1856. the first settlement was made at risdon, tasmania on 11 september 1803 when lieut john bowen landed with about 50 settlers, crew, soldiers and convicts. the site proved unsuitable and was abandoned in august 1804. lieut-col david collins finally established a successful settlement at hobart in february 1804 with a party of about 260 people, including 178 convicts. (collins had previously attempted a settlement in victoria.) convict ships were sent from england directly to the colony from 1812 to 1853 and over the 50 years from 1803–1853 around 67,000 convicts were transported to tasmania. about 14,492 were irish but many of them had been sentenced in english and scottish courts. some were also tried locally in other australian colonies. the "indefatigable" brought the first convicts direct from england on 19 october 1812 and by 1820 there were about 2,500 convicts in the colony. by the end of 1833 the number had increased to 14,900 convicts of whom 1864 were females. about 1,448 held ticket of leave, 6,573 were assigned to settlers and 275 were recorded as "absconded or missing". in 1835 there were over 800 convicts working in chain-gangs at the penal station at port arthur which operated from 1830 to 1877. convicts were transferred to van diemen's land from sydney and, in later years, from 1841 to 1847, from melbourne. between 1826 and 1840, there were at least 19 ship loads of convicts sent from van diemen's land to norfolk island and at other times they were sent from norfolk island to van diemen's land.
history of australia (1788–1850)
although a convict-supported settlement was established in western australia from 1826 to 1831, direct transportation of convicts did not begin until 1850. it continued until 1868. during that period, 9,668 convicts were transported on 43 convict ships. the first convicts to arrive were transported to new south wales, and sent by that colony to king george sound (albany) in 1826 to help establish a settlement there. at that time the western third of australia was unclaimed land known as new holland. fears that france would lay claim to the land prompted the governor of new south wales, ralph darling, to send major edmund lockyer, with troops and 23 convicts, to establish a settlement at king george sound. lockyer's party arrived on christmas day, 1826. a convict presence was maintained at the settlement for over four years. on 7 march 1831 control of the settlement was transferred to the swan river colony, and the troops and convicts were withdrawn.
convicts in australia