The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding

The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding by Robert Hughes details the establishment of the first European colony in Australia in 1788. This endeavor was largely driven by Britain's need to find a new destination for convicts after losing its American colonies, which had previously accepted transported felons.1234

The British government, under Arthur Phillip, established the colony in New South Wales with the intention of using convict labor for economic development. While some historians suggest strategic interests in controlling sea power in the East, the primary motive appears to have been the relief of overcrowded prisons. The settlement began with the arrival of eleven ships carrying convicts and free persons into Sydney Cove. The establishment of this penal colony marked the beginning of European colonization on the Australian continent.2