The Rise and Emergence of Australia

How Sydney’s penal colony transformed into one of the freest countries in the world

by Pamela Schweppe, for Grand Circle

Transport yourself to the London of the 1780s. Under the English Penal Code, known colloquially as the “Bloody Code,” more than 200 crimes are punishable by death. Perhaps you are hungry and desperate and turn to pickpocketing to survive, or maybe you’re a soldier guilty of insubordination. Which would you prefer: being put to death, or being transported to the underbelly of the world, where you will be left to fend for yourself? Or are these two options essentially the same thing? For many British convicts in the late 18th century, being exiled to Australia may have seemed like a death sentence—and for many, it was. At the time, London was the most populous city in Europe, having grown to 800,000 people. Crime was rampant—so much so that it was unwise to venture out after dark. What to do with all the criminals had become a major issue. Prisons were scarce and overcrowded, so transporting prisoners to remote lands had become the preferred alternative to execution. During the 17th and 18th centuries, roughly 60,000 prisoners were sent to North America. When Britain lost the Revolutionary War, however, they also lost a vast continent on which to deposit convicts, so a new site needed to be sourced.

It happened that, in 1768, Lieutenant James Cook had been commissioned by King George III to explore the South Seas. In 1770, his ship, the HMS Endeavor, became the first European vessel to touch the eastern shores of Australia. The place where the ship landed is now called Botany Bay. On August 18, 1786, a decision was made to develop a convict settlement at Botany Bay. On May 13, 1787, the First Fleet set sail from English shores. The fleet consisted of eleven ships: two naval ships, six convict ships, and three supply ships. On board were roughly 1,500 passengers, of whom around 800 were convicts. As it turned out, the voyage did not end at Botany Bay. On arrival on January 20, 1788, the leader of the expedition, Captain Arthur Phillip—soon to become Australia’s first governor—determined that the unprotected waterfront plus a lack of green fields and fresh water made the site unsuitable. The fleet sailed on to Port Jackson—better known today as Sydney Harbor—where permanent anchor was made. The date was January 26, 1788.

A typical day for Australia’s first European settlers

Conditions for those first European settlers were harsh. Scurvy and dysentery were rampant. Thrust from an urban setting into a wilderness, the convicts were responsible for finding a way to sustain themselves with food and shelter. Crops were sparse, and much of the livestock was lost. Still, Governor Phillip quickly arranged for the new settlers maximize their skills, whether farmers, shepherds, carpenters, nurses, or record keepers. Days were long and rigorous, and yet the convicts enjoyed a measure of freedom that would never have been afforded to them in London. Still, the mortality rate was high among the new settlers, who waited impatiently for more food to arrive with the Second Fleet. The next ship to arrive, however, was not what the colonists expected. Crimes against Australia’s indigenous people, the Aborigines, reached an extreme when an eight-year-old Aboriginal girl was raped. In response, British Home Under-Secretary Evan Nepean decided that the behavior of the men of the new penal colony would be improved with the arrival of more women, so he ordered that 225 women from prisons throughout England be sent to Australia aboard the Lady Juliana.

The special plight of women

For some of the female prisoners aboard the Lady Juliana, transportation to the new penal colony was ironically freeing—a chance to cast aside social strictures and carve out a new life. For most women, however, being sentenced to Sydney Cove was tantamount to being forced into prostitution. Even though most of the women transported were guilty of a first offence (as opposed to multiple offences for most of the men)—and that usually a misdemeanor—they were assumed to be vulgar, low-class women with loose morals. Sexual abuse usually commenced even before arrival in Australia—aboard the very ships that took them there. Besides, with men assigned the tasks of farming, manufacturing, and construction, there were few jobs left over for women. There was little demand for servants, and factory jobs were scarce. With little incentive for men to marry, even the respectability of marriage was out of reach for most women, and for decades, those who did marry still could not escape the stigma of being considered a prostitute.

From penal colony to, simply, a colony

As the years went by, the focus of the settlement turned from punishment to colonization. By 1810, convicts were building roads, bridges, hospitals, and public buildings. Some were even gaining their freedom. Free citizens also began arriving in 1793, increasing the proportion of free citizens and adding to the demand for democratic change. Real reforms were enacted under Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Bourke, the ninth governor of New South Wales (1831-1837). Governor Bourke began waging a campaign against excessive punishment and inhumane treatment of the convicts, and also began granting rights to free convicts, including the right to own property. In 1850, transportation to Australia as a form of punishment was abolished. In all, approximately 165,000 convicts had been transported to Australia aboard 806 ships. The colony was now self-sustaining. Today, January 26 is celebrated as Australia Day, a national holiday comparable to America’s Fourth of July. Is there irony in the fact that the U.S. observes its birthday on the signing of the Declaration of Independence, whereas the Aussies mark the anniversary of the arrival of prisoners? Perhaps not, when you consider that the brash and easygoing character we associate with the Australian people is founded on a band of convicts who had ample reason to cherish and pursue the very notion of freedom.

Recipe: Australian Meat Pies

The meat pie is perhaps the most iconic Aussie snack food. While the concept of meat-filled pastry is a British invention that dates to medieval times, Australians have embraced the dish and made it their own, consuming “hand warmers” by the truckload at football, rugby, and cricket matches. Informal debates rage around whether the tomato sauce (what we call ketchup) should be chilled or at room temperature, and applied bite-by-bite or all at once.

In 1990, the gauntlet was officially thrown down at the first Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition—now an annual event. The goal, according to its website, is “to provide a national platform for quality pie improvement, product innovation, and skill enhancement.” Media coverage after a win can launch a previously unknown producer into a million-dollar business.

While the old-fashioned minced beef and gravy will always reign supreme, federal law dictates that the “meat” in a pie can be beef, buffalo, camel, deer, hare, rabbit, sheep, or even kangaroo—and can include snouts, ears, tendons, and tongue. By law, every commercially sold pie must contain at least 25% meat—and skimping will not win a pie any awards in official competition: points are awarded for a higher meat-to-pastry ratio.

This recipe makes about 12 individual mini-pies in a standard-sized muffin tray—a perfect size for a snack or appetizer. You can scale it to fit any pie pan you’d like; just adjust the size of the crusts accordingly.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tsp Vegemite or Marmite (optional)
• 2 sheets frozen pie dough
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• Salt, to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• Ketchup, for serving

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until softened, then remove. Brown the ground beef in batches, taking care to not overcrowd the pan. Return all beef and onion to the pan, and season to taste with salt.
2. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and a splash of stock to form a paste.
3. Add stock, ketchup, pepper, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and Vegemite/Marmite (if using) to the skillet.
4. Add cornstarch paste and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, 10-15 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. While beef mixture cools, cut the dough for the pie bases and lids. If using a muffin tin, you’ll need 12 4-inch circles of pie dough and 12 2-inch circles of puff pastry. Use a small plate, tin can, or cup as a guide.
7. In a non-stick muffin tray, line each tin with a circle of pie dough, pressing down gently. Fill each with beef mixture, and top with puff pastry, “gluing” the top to the base with a bit of water on your finger.
8. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Serve as the Aussies do: topped with ketchup!

Servings: 12 mini-pies

Recipe: Sticky Date Pudding

One of the many great things about traveling is getting to sample the foods that define and enrich each country—the traditional favorites that both locals and visitors alike devour with delight. A favorite dessert among the Aussies—and one that “mums” across this South Pacific country bake with love—is their sticky date pudding. Actually a super-moist cake, sticky date pudding is a warm and (as the name implies) sticky dessert that is deliciously drizzled with caramel sauce and often served with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream on top. Follow along with the recipe below to make your own satisfying after-dinner treat.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup pitted dates
  
• 1 cup hot water
  
• ½ tsp. baking soda
  
• 2 Tbs. butter
  
• ¾ cup superfine sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  
• ¾ cup sifted self-raising flour
  

Preparation:

• 1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.


• 2. In a medium saucepan, cover pitted dates with hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for three minutes.


• 3. Add baking soda to dates, then remove pan from heat and let cool.


• 4. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs one at a time.


• 5. Pour cooled dates into bowl with butter and sugar mixture, and add vanilla extract. Stir.


• 6. Gently fold in flour, stirring lightly.


• 7. Pour mixture into greased muffin tins to create individual puddings and bake for about 30 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


• 8. For the caramel sauce, combine brown sugar, cream, butter, and vanilla extract in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until smooth—about three minutes.


• 9. Pour a small amount of caramel sauce over baked puddings and return to oven until the sauce is bubbly—about two to three minutes.


• 10. Serve individual puddings with remaining caramel sauce drizzled over top. The pudding is great served hot with ice cream or whipped cream, but can also be served cold.

Servings: 6