Victorian emigration to Australia

[ginette]

This is a very basic question |blush|

I have found some ancestors born in Mayfield, Sussex who died in Adelaide, Australia. These were William Packham and his wife Mary Ann and at least two of their children, Ellen and David. The last child was born in Sussex in 1832 and the first death in Adelaide was 1867.

My question is: Did people emigrate to Australia then or were they definitely banished there as sinful people? I guess there must have been some sort of organised government or it would have been chaos.

[GeoffD]

Even as early as 1832, people were emigrating under various government schemes and privately promoted ventures. The dates you give fit in very well with the establishment of South Australia as a colony - look up Colonel William Light.

[ginette]

:):) Thank you!!

[ChristineR]

South Australia was never penal colony. I believe it was specifically founded to avoid convict associations.

By 1868 there was a total population of about one million people in Australia. I think that figure quoted probably relates only to the immigrant population.

When transportation of convicts ended in 1868, the total number sent since 1788 was about 162,000.

ChristineR :)

[David Tuson]

Another book to check out is "A Sort of Conscience - The Wakefields" by Philip Temple. It has quite a detailed description of the planning in England in the early 1800s for colonising South Australia with persons 'buying land' to defray the costs of their passage.

Note: The Wakefields were also heavily involved in the colonisation of New Zealand.

David

[ginette]

Wonderful. Thank you!

I have found the family on the Moffatt sailing in 1839 from London.

Thank you too for the further information - another whole area for me to learn about! :)