Convicts arrived in Australia in 1788, on the First Fleet. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of convicts were transported to the various Australian penal colonies by the British government. One of the main reasons for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of penal colony to lessen the pressure on their overcrowded gaols. Over the 80 years more than 165,000 convicts were transported to Australia.
Many convicts were sentenced to deportation for minor crimes as life became very tough in Great Britain.
Convicts formed a large percentage of the Australian population for the first few decades of settlement.
Governor Lachlan Macquarie encouraged reformed convicts to participate in society.
Many of Australia's early public works were completed by convict labour.
What is a convict?
A convict , after conviction, is a person who becomes a prisoner.
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