Migration
There are many reasons why the British have decided to claim Australia. One of these reasons was so that the British could send their convicts elsewhere since Britain was starting to get overcrowded and they could no longer send them to North America. Another reason was that the British wanted to expand their empire, so that is another reason why they had decided to establish a penal colony in Australia. Between 1788 and 1840, about 80,000 people migrated to Australia and not all were British.
Settlement and population
When the Europeans first arrived in Botany Bay, they moved northwards and settled in Port Jackson. The red X on the picture to the left marks the area where the Europeans settled in. During this era, the population in Australia had increased significantly. Before 1788, about 750,000 people had inhabited the continent.
In the year 1868, the last shipment of convicts had arrived and the total number of transported convicts stood at about 162,000 people. Below is a pie graph showing what percentage of the convicts were from which country.
In the year 1868, the last shipment of convicts had arrived and the total number of transported convicts stood at about 162,000 people. Below is a pie graph showing what percentage of the convicts were from which country.