Genealogy in Australia quite often involves a family finding out that they have a convict in their past, who was sent to Australia by virtue of a punishment called Transportation.

Now we all know what we think the word transportation means, however in this case, it is a punishment that was meted out to those who had done something wrong in what is now the UK, Scotland, Ireland and England, back in the late 1700’s..

Beginning as a means to punish criminals, and in some cases, those who were not actually criminals, but were guilty of such crimes as sacrilege, getting married in secret, or, if you were a boatman, carrying too many passengers on a trip down the River Thames. There were of course more serious crimes that could get you transported, such as embezzlement or even manslaughter, however many were not at all serious crimes.

Other things that could get you transported included such trivia as “stealing” fish from a pond.
What transportation was, was the criminal packing up his or her life and taking a voyage to Australia that took about 5-6 months, and then landing there to settle, in what would be your new home for 5, 7, 10 or 20 years, or sometimes even a lifetime.

In the beginning the convicts were sent to America, but once the revolution took place there, America wasn’t accepting any convicts and since Australia was a newly discovered tract of land it became what was the new penal colony for what is present day United Kingdom.
In 1788 the first prisoners were transported to Australia.

Many of these prisoners would make a deal with someone, the governor or someone else in a position of power to get a grant of land.
Some of them were particularly influential in settling Australia and making it what it is today.

Transportation ended in Australia about the middle of the 1800’s, however by that time about half of the population of Australia who spoke English were made up of criminals or convicts who had been sent there.

If you’re interested in whether or not your ancestor might have been a transported criminal, there are some new online databases that will make it easier for you to find out.

The following will assist you in your search for an ancestor:

Australian Convict Transportation Registers—First Fleet, 1787–1788

Australian Convict Transportation Registers—Second Fleet, 1789–1790

Australian Convict Transportation Registers—Third Fleet, 1791

Australian Convict Transportation Registers—Other Fleets and Ships, 1791–1868

Additionally, there is now a very helpful and remarkable database online that is searchable.
Compiled from the microfilm from the British home office, you can search to find an ancestors name, or also search through lists of convicts who were instrumental in helping to develop and build Australia.

British convicts transported from 1787-1867 from the British Home Office (HO) can be found here: Database of Convict Transportation Registers

Tags:  Australian genealogy British Convict Register Transportation