On 25 December 1826, Major Edmund Lockyer landed at King George Sound, later to be called Albany, with a party of convicts.

His instructions from Governor Darling in Sydney were to establish a British presence in the area in order to forestall any plans that the French may have had for annexation, while at the same time plans for settlement of the west were being urged from London. The small settlement he established was named Frederickstown, after the Duke of York at that time.

Quite a number of years were to pass before any further action was to be taken by the British. Much of what was to happen was due to the efforts of Captain James Stirling. Stirling believed in the potential of Western Australia for settlement, based on both economic and strategic grounds. He visited the Swan River area and carried out some explorations there is 1827.

The next move was to start a campaign to convince the London Colonial Office of the value of the region, enlisting the support of England's wealthy to finance its development. At first the Government was not at all convinced by his arguments in favour of settlement in the area. However, Stirling persisted, and eventually won approval.

The Government had originally felt that a settlement was unnecessary and would impinge upon their already tight finances. Obviously their fears of what the French may decide to do in the area were heightened and induced them to take further actions to secure the area. After all this was the era when it was best to occupy a piece of land you were interested in, rather than simply make some vague declaration.

On May 2 1829, Captain C.H. Fremantle took formal possession of the western third of Australia, establishing a small fort which was to guard the vast new territories of the British Empire.

On the 18th of June the site of Fremantle was named. A very short time later, newly appointed Governor Stirling arrived at Swan River, in June of 1829, to establish what was to become Perth.

Few of the early settlers had farming experience, and most had no knowledge of Australia other than Sterling's embellished claims of the promise of the west's potential that had appeared in London newspapers. No preparations had been made for the settlers' arrival, and it was to be Stirling's triumph that the colony was to survive at all.

By 1848 there were only 4622 settlers, although many others who may have tried to reach the newly founded colony failed because of migration projects collapsing before they left England. In 1850, twenty years after the first settlement had arrived, Western Australia had a population of 6000 and was suffering a shortage of man power.

So desperate was the colony for labour they requested the introduction of convict transportation, a practice that had been abandoned in New South Wales ten years earlier.

Over the next eighteen years, 9000 male prisoners arrived in the colony, providing both the labour and the market upon which the colony's industries could grow. Convicts provided the much needed extra hands on farms, and many were given tickets of leave soon after arrival so that they could find employment within the settlement.

Others were put to work building a gaol at Fremantle and other public works, and by the end of the penal system in 1886, convict labour had built the roads, bridges, harbours and buildings essential for the colony's progress.

0 of a possible 0 points from 0 votes