There is much debate as to why Australia was chosen to become a British outpost in the Southern hemisphere. In August of 1786 the British Home Secretary, Lord Sydney decided that Botany Bay would be the location for a new British penal colony to ease the empire’s overwhelming prison population. The prison system in England was in a dire situation due to the constant increase in prisoners. There were over two hunderd offences which resulted in the death penalty. Between 1717 and 1776 over thirty thousand prisoners were sent to the British colonies in America. Between 1772 and 1778 the population of England’s prison system almost doubled. Something had to be done to release the strain on the prison system; Australia was Britain’s answer.
There are conflicting views and opinions as to why Australia was chosen to become a British outpost and penal colony. However there are four dominant and differing theories that have appeared to best explain the reason for the decision. The first is the so-called ‘Dumping Ground’ Theory. This theory, as stated above, is based on the idea that as the British prison system was over-populated and it needed somewhere to send its convict population. It was in this period that the British had faced the American’s in their war of independence and had been defeated, this meant that they could no longer send their excess convicts to the American colonies which posed an obvious problem. However this leaves the question as to why Australia was chosen to replace American colonies as a dumping ground. While it would provide a perfect place for British convicts to be sent, Australia was on the other side of the world, it would have been extremely expensive and timely to use Australia as a replacement penal colony. This is the main argument opposing this theory as to why Australia was chosen.
| This is a panoramic wide view of the Port Arthur convict settlement from behind the Church. |
A second theory is the ‘Empire’ Theory. This theory revolves around the notion of Empire building and national pride. The British Empire was the largest in the world at the time and it seemed to have no intention of slowing its rate of expansion. It had recently lost its colonies in America which would provide a perfect chance and reason to set up a new colony. The British and French had both been wanting to build strategic and trading networks in the southern hemisphere but wanted to avoid invasion of already established foreign colonies as neither was in a good economic position to wage a war against another nation. The British also wanted a new base that would increase its ability to defend its colony in India (British India), Australia would be a perfect location from a geographical perspective. This theory poses some valid points as to why Britain may have chosen Australia as an outpost on the other side of the world.
Another theory which has also been put forward as a reason for the decision for Australia to become a British outpost is that relating to flax and timber. Along with the ease of the prison system in Britain, Lord Sydney also stated that Australia had several enticing articles of commerce. The first of these was flax, a plant used for the making of canvas and sailcloth and superior to Baltic hemp for the making of ships cables. Sydney said that sure supply of flax ‘would be of great consequence to us (Britain) as a naval power’. He also stated that the tall trees which grew to the waters edge in New Zealand and in islands near Australia such as Norfolk Island would yield masts of unparalleled size and quality for the British fleets in India. The supplies of flax and timber needed for the British Navy were dwindling and without them the Navy may suffer. This was an enormous problem for the British as its Navy was the strongest in the world and its most powerful weapon. Australia seemed an option which would provide them of a place to send their excess convicts but more importantly it would provide them with the necessary materials needed to keep their prestigious Navy at full strength.
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