in answer to the question, when did transportaion end in australia,
The transportation of convicts to australia mostly centered on NSW,Western Australia and
Tasmania and some convicts of the worst type were forwarded on to Norfolk Island . The
last transportation was to western Australia in 1864 , the practice had ended some years
this before to NSW and Tasmanian.
Only Men were transported to western Australia and a convict ship with women prisoners was
refused landing and sent on to NSW. the people of Perth felt that these women could /
would corupt the then colony
It is interesting to note that many of the convicts to Perth were called Prisoners of
Exceptional Character and were generally released within the first year of arrival [If not
sooner] under licence with what was called a TICKET OF LEAVE. while under this arrangement
they were required to work for Free Settlers OR Government Departments. this wenjt on to
be a conditional pardon and then Pardon.
It is only in the last 30 years that, certainly in perth, that the convict ancestor has
been talked about and acknowlegded up till then their past was never mentioned
my convict ancestor arrived in 1857 in the 2nd year of his 5yrs sentence .He was married
with a child according to his record. I guess this happened to so many of the men , who
with zilch prospect of ever getting back to the UK remarried or lived defacto with new
partners and started new families.My ancestor lived defacto and had one child his
decendant family now number in the hundreds, but i gusee i will never know what happened
to his wife back in UK.
South Australia Never had transportation and offered assisted [ free ] passage to their
colony town of Adelaide. Many thousands of free settlers used this scheme of entering
australia and then walked [Yes Walked on foot ] to Victoria and the new gold fields.
They also walked from perth to Kalgoorlie some 400 miles to that early goldfield.
cheeers
denis edwards