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It marks the end of an era for a country originally established as a penal colony. There have been around 157,000 convicts transported to the Australian colonies between 1788 and 1868. The last 279 transportees were brought on the Hougomont in 1868. WA has received 9721 convicts since 1850. NSW took 80,000 convicts from 1788-1840. A total of 67,500 convicts were shipped to Van Diemen's Land between 1841 and 1852.
The disbandment of transportation also marks the end of the imperial grant for police, chaplains and magistrates for the convicts. This contribution has been a significant amount since it began in 1853.
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Although the British Government had originally agreed to pay no more than £6000 per year, being £1000 towards the magistracy and two-thirds of the expense of maintaining a police force, by the 1860s they were paying in excess of £15,000 per annum.
Nine years ago the British Treasury informed the WA Government that the amount would drop by £1000 per year, beginning in 1877 until 1883-84 when it would drop by £2000. The payment will cease altogether next year.
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