The Birth of British Australia Flashcards
When was the ‘First Fleet’ route to Australia
May 1787 - Jan 1788 (250 days)
Name 3 original problems with Australia
- Huge distance from the UK
- “Criminal Class” of convicts
- Inhospitable lands
What did Lachlan Maquarie famously say about NSW
“I found NSW a gaol and left it a colony”
What did Lachlan M play a crucial role in doing?
Changing Australia from a Penal island to a Reformatory ground
Lachlan significanlty improved the death rate on the ships from 1 in 31 to what?
1 in 122
How did Lachlan reduce dependence on imported foods?
The erection of “Maquarie Towns”
- established along the fertile banks of Hawkesbury River
- Allowed for growth of own crops
Why was the removal of the New South Wales Corps so important ?
By 1809, NSW Corps could import rum so had completel political and economic control
- They were responisble for the mutiny so there was instability
- M dismantled the corps by sending majority to the Isle of Guernsey
Although Lachlan wanted to reform , there was no 3rd chance.
The Set up of both Norfolk Island and Port Arthur in Tasmania (two examples) allowed for what treatment of Prisoners?
Brutal.
Port Arthur in Tasmania, camp commander Charles O’Hara Both given a ‘free hand’ on law
When Norfolk Island reopened as Prison - John Giles Price - strapped meant to old iron bedsteads after they had been whipped to ensure wounds become infected
Lachlan’s relationship to the Indiginous people saw him viewed as what?
An ‘Enlightened Despot’
How does Maquarie attempt to bring Aboriginals into Western soceity
By attempting to civilise 26 of them - this fails tho and settlers now see more reason to exterminate them as indiginous people ‘reject’ civilisation
What was the ‘Native Institution’?
A place where forcibly removed Indiginous children were trying to be “civilised”
set up in 1814 by Gov Macquarie to educate Aboriginal childrne in the ‘European’ way.
When did Van Dieman’s Land first have settlers
1803 - set up as a penal colony
Until 1824, VDL was considered part of NSW
What Chnged?
VDL was administered as a Second Seperate State - because much stricter rules
What were two strategic values of retaining VDL?
Ensured Control of Bass Strait which reduced travel times to the UK
Enabled development of Whaling - big industry which took Blubber, Oil, fats and Balseen (for women’s corsets)
How many Aboriginals were there on VDL in 1803?
3000 - 4000
What did Gov Arthur declare in 1828 on VDL?
Martial Law agaisnt Aboriginals
Idea was to move Ab ppl to ‘Settled Districts’ - land laid out which would protect them and squash andy settler fears
What was a major issue with the Governor not having complete power in VDL
People did what they wanted - e.g.
Early years was starvation - ordinary ppl given guns to hunt but turned on Aboriginals - uncontrolled and unregulated unlike in NSW where Gov had all power
3 reasons for Aborigonals dying on VDL
1) Diseases took its toll - smallpox affects 50% of ab pop
2 Areas cleared for farms to produce wool - resulted in Aboriginals being hunted and poisoned
3) Settler violence unchecked by authorities
Indiginous people had been on VDL for 30000 years before white settlers came in 1803. After this, when did the last Tasmanian Aborigional person die?
1876
What was Lachlan M’s main view on NSW
To him, NSW was not just a land of punishment, but also a land of redemption - convict could be transformed into citizens
Give one example of a changed convict
- Richard Fitzgerald who had been transported at 15
- LM made RF superintendent of agriculture and stores
- became a pillar in society, building the local church ‘St Matthews’
By 1828, there were more free settlers in NSW than convcits.
Why was this?
Only around 1 in 14 ex-cons wanted to go back to Britian
What did Lachlan di that supported the term that he “favoured emancipists”
Invited 4 ex-cons over to dinner after birth of child
What type of people were termed “exclusives”
Free settlers who had come to Australia and doen well
How many projects were built by convicts under Lchlan M
265
By 1825, what was the European population in Australia?
35k - mainly sailors who came to reinvent themselves
Why was there Tension between Macquarie and Exclusives?
Tension between exclusives and Macquarie as M wanted convicts to develop NSW infrastructure and exclusives wanted convict labour to develop their land
What was the punishment for running away for convcits of NSW?
Heavy leg irons from 6 months to 3years
- Norfolk Island as secondary penal colony if neccerssary
What was a ‘Ticket of Leave’?
allowance for convicts to work for money and own land but not to leave the colony
How many Aboriginal people were there in Australia by the time of Capt Cook’s arrival?
750k
What does “terra nullis” mean?
‘Land Belonging to No-one’
- The British declared Australia as terra nullis even though they were aware of the Aboriginals
Two infamous confrontations between Indiginous people and Settlers?
1834 Battle of Pinjarra in Western Australia
1838 Myall Creek Massacre in NSW
What were ‘Native Police Forces’ ?
A group from other tribes to monitor other tribes
- Essentially a way for the British to manipulate the Indiginous people
Between 1788- ?, violence,dispossession and disease caused the Indigenous population to decline by around ?%
1900
90%
How many convcits shipped between 1788-1868
168k
What was the ration of men cons shipped to women
6:1
By 1828, the free population outnumbered the prison population by ? to ?
21k to 16k
What did Gov Arthur require covcits to do to gain their freedom
The ‘7 levels of Punishment’ before cons got freedom
Under Gov Arthur, how did he maintain discipline
Divided VDL into districts, each headed by a magistrate
Which governor beleived in redemption through strict punishment
Gov Arthur (1823 - 37)
What industries controlled the NSW and VDL economy until the 1930s?
And what took over?
Whaling and sealing
Wool indsutry
What prevented the seal and whale population from dying out completely
The explosion of the merino wool indsutry from the 1820s onward controlled economy of Australia from then
What other conflict meant that Britian had to look for somewhere else to send their criminals?
The Start of the American War of Independence
- Brtain could no longer send their criminals to the 13 colonies
How long did Governor Phillip have to hold out for in the New Colony?
He knew no aid would arrive for two years.
Settlers would hve to grow and hunt
Was Gov Phillip successful by the time he left in 1792?
Extremely!
- Everyone housed - inc Brick mansion for gov
- over 1000 acres of farmland under public cultivtion
Name three factors that were crucial to the First Fleet’s survival
1) Resupply missions Phillip sent to Cape Town + China
2) Second Colony on Norfolk Island - although failed in 1806 - it helped get a lot of mouths from Sydney, which made rations last longer
3) Development of better farmland at Parramatta
When did the Second Fleet arrive?
“The Lady Juliana”
June 1790
When was the worst peroid for the settlers
1788-90 - hunger and starvation was genuine possbility
How many of the settlers die during Famine in 1790?
nearly a quater
What was the main role of the Second Fleet in 1790?
Resupplying the colony
- managed to end the famien
When does Gov Bligh arrive and what are his orders?
in 1806
- told to crack down on a lax colony - costing Britian far too much money (note debt from 7YW)
In 1792, who takes over from Gov Phillip ?
The Marine Officer ‘Francis Grose’ who is commander of the Rum Corps
- Sets up trading for Rum which becomes a huge monopoly
How many settlers rely on food in 1798, compared to 1804
1798 - 3/4s of ppl on gov rations
1804 - 1/3rd of ppl
In what year is Bligh’s reign overturned by mutiny?
1808
What does LM do in 1814 to creating better understanding between whites and blacks?
Holds an annual conference with tribal leaders, distributing gifts
In 1816, the Bank of NSW is established. What does this allow?
To drastially reduce trade via barter as supply of coins come in
Willian Wentworth famously campaigns for the equality of ex-cons and new arrivals. Wht quote does he famously make a claim about?
“The land boys, on which we live”
Gov Darling arrives in 1825 with waht ordrs?
Follwing Bigge’s reports, Gov Darling is sent to tighten up the convict system and deploys hundres of prisoners to work in chain gangs
