Post by Admin on Mar 3, 2020 19:49:29 GMT
Botany Bay was in fact too shallow to allow the fleet to anchor by the shore and it was quickly discovered that strategically the bay was unprotected and open to attack. To make matters worse, a lack of fresh water and poor soil quality added to the lack of potential in the area. Attempts to cut trees and set up primitive living accommodation were futile, as the tools they had brought with them failed to bring down the large trees in the area.
It quickly became clear that Phillip needed to move his colony onwards to a more suitable location. A party of men which included Phillip left Botany Bay and travelled in three smaller vessels in order to explore the coastline further north. It was on this investigative trail that the men discovered Port Jackson which immediately appeared to have better conditions. Good, fertile soil for growing crops, access to fresh water and easier anchorage of the boats made this the chosen spot for a new life and new era of discovery.
Some years earlier Captain James Cook had recorded a sighting of the harbour but had not investigated it. Phillip however instantly honed in on the potential of the bay, describing it in a letter as “the finest harbour in the world”. He and his men would return to Botany Bay to tell the others of their good news.
By 26th January the Fleet had left its original position and sailed to Port Jackson. As soon as they arrived, Phillip named the area Sydney Cove in honour of Lord Sydney who was the British Home Secretary. This was a momentous day marking the beginning of the British settlement; few however could have realised that this day would be celebrated annually centuries later.
With the British flag firmly in position, the formal proceedings could begin. As for the convicts, unsure as to their fate, they could only watch on from the ship, awaiting their punishment and subsequent hardship with trepidation.
The question of what to do with Britain’s criminals arose largely in the period of the Industrial Revolution which witnessed a surge in petty crime. The reason for this increase was largely due to economic hardship and unemployment caused by the advent of machinery which replaced the work of men and women. Rural to urban migration was on the rise and cities grew rapidly; for those without work, stealing became a means of survival.
Very quickly this problem escalated. Prisons began filling up with people and the old prison ships, known as hulks, were unable to accommodate the overflow. Transportation was therefore introduced to solve this problem, with around 60,000 criminals being taken to British colonies in North America.
This all came to an end when the American War of Independence concluded British rule in North America and subsequently the Americans, no longer under British control, decided to refuse any further convict transportations. This created a crisis back across the Atlantic until it was decided that Australia would be the most suitable destination for the next penal colonies. On 6th December 1785 the Orders in Council were given; the colony was to be established, instructions were given and transportation to Australia commenced.
These colonies of convicts included men, women, minority groups and also some political prisoners. More serious crimes including rape and murder were made a transportable offence in 1830 but were also punishable by death and thus fewer of these criminals were transported.
Child convicts of Australia - Chapter 2 of 6 - A Day in the Life
Those who were taken to Australia had committed a range of different crimes including theft, assault, robbery and fraud. As part of their punishment they were sentenced to penal transportation for seven years, fourteen years or even life, despite the crimes that they had committed being generally low-grade.
The prisoners were transported on ships in appalling conditions; many of them would not survive the journey. During the period of transportation, nearly 2000 convicts died during the journey, usually from illnesses such as cholera due to the cramped and unhygienic conditions, where space was so limited that inmates were not even able to stand up. The high mortality rate was made worse by a lack of sufficient supplies, leading to widespread hunger and starvation.
The plan was to settle in Australia and begin creating large areas of agricultural production. In theory this was a perfectly good aim, but skill shortages combined with a lack of livestock hindered first attempts.
