Who are Australia’s Convicts?

The true crime lies with the empire.

I wouldn’t normally link to a site like this but even The New Daily is showing us the convicts sent to Australia to build the British arm in the Pacific, were no real criminals.

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/good-news/2021/10/17/ex-convicts-rehabilitated/amp/

These “rehabilitated” ex-convicts were guilty of such heinous crimes as theft of clothes - likely to be able to clothe themselves, there’s a horse thief amongst them, there’s even one guilty of rebellion!

Now imagine you run an empire. You’re accumulating control over lands far and wide, and you’ve discovered a land just a stone’s throw from the East. This land needs to be developed, colonised, militarised. The volunteers are scarce, many of the brave and adventurous already migrated to the United States, and this is a much farther journey.

How would you collect enough manpower to accomplish such a feat?

Would you build this land on the backs of criminals? How would you fill these colonies with intelligent men and women who are able to teach, to farm, to build?

One of my ancestors owned a school in Ireland. He was well respected and intelligent, and not afraid to speak out against the government. This ancestor became a convict, was sent to Australia, and began a school. He was not guilty of theft, he didn’t steal a loaf of bread to feed his family like so many others did, he spoke out against the government and was useful to the colonisation plan.

Australia’s reputation has always been “built on the backs of convicts” so much so that we are taught in school about the criminals who colonised these lands and somehow “turned it around” as the article touts.

One thing that makes complete sense is how such an obedient society can be created, when its foundation is that of chained, whipped citizens who have been stripped of any rights and shipped across the world.

Threat neutralised?