24. Many convicts created new and successful lives in the Australian colonies
Beginning in 1788, and continuing until 1868, well over 150,000 convicts were transported from Great Britain to the colonies. Some, though classified as convicts, arrived without ever having been convicted of anything. Irish who participated in the rebellions against British rule, or who were merely suspected of supporting the rebellions, were transported without trial. Many others were hardened criminals, under the sentence of death, commuted in exchange for transportation. Depending on where they were sent to in the colonies, the conditions they encountered were relatively easy or unremittingly harsh. Many escaped to take up a life of crime in the colonies.
But many did not, completed their sentences, and remained in the colonies to build a new life. Arriving under a commuted sentence of death did not necessarily mean the convict was a hardened criminal. In Great Britain, in the late 18th century 225 crimes carried the death penalty. One could be hanged for a crime such as staying in a Gypsy camp for more than a month. A child between the ages of 7 and 14 could receive the death penalty for “exhibiting malice”. For the majority of the convicts transported to Australia, the sentence was an opportunity for a new life, and they made the most of it in their new homeland.