Aspects of Irish assisted Emigration to New South Wales 1848-1870

Abstract

Contrary to popular mythology only 12% of the Irish who went to the Australian colonies in the 19th century did so as convicts. From the late 1830s it was government assisted emigration which gave Australia its Irish population. This study deals with key aspects of the emigration of approximately 44,188 Irish who went as assisted emigrants to Sydney between 1848 and 1870.

The distinguishing feature of the assisted passage was its organisation by a government agency in Britain - the Land and Emigration Commissioners. Their procedures tried to ensure that only those from the rural labouring and skilled artisan classes within certain ages were selected. From the moment the emigrants left Ireland until they reached the colony their welfare was the responsibility of the Commissioners and, on arrival, the local immigration authorities helped them during their first days in the colony. In general the Irish who went on government ships to Sydney were well cared for.

Young, single adult male labourers and female domestic servants made up the bulk of the emigrants. The evidence from one key Tipperary parish suggests that in the main these people were drawn from the poorer, but not the poorest, sections of rural society. While the personal financial outlay required generally prevented the poverty stricken from obtaining an assisted passage special schemes in the late 1840s and early 1850s brought some destitute Irish to Sydney.

The emigrants were from every county in Ireland but by far the greatest number came from west Munster and southwest Ulster. Until the mid-1850s most were selected upon application from Ireland to the Commissioners but,from then on, an ever increasing proportion were sponsored for a passage by friends and relatives in New South Wales.