Australia and the Enlightenment

Gascoigne describes the Enlightenment as 'the quest of principles; the appeal to reason, the language of rights, and a growing insistence on toleration...'.  Clark further explains that the emergence of the Enlightenment occurred as the influence of Christianity and religion in general began to decay. As a result, the existence of everything was no longer attributed to mythical or magical reasoning or cosmic meaning. Buchan also believes that as the Enlightenment provided a new outlook on life, which led to 'a commitment to progress, the development of science and technology, individual liberty and a secular foundation for ethics' throughout the world. The Enlightenment sparked a myriad of historical events, including the American, French and Industrial Revolutions. As Australia was also founded during this period, the ideas and goals for a conduct of life were largely shaped by this new world-view of the Enlightenment. In addition, Gascoigne believes that 'the Enlightenment was to 'form a central core of the mental world of what eventually became the Australian nation'. In addition, Clark adds that it was infact, 'Men of Science - Sons of the Enlightenment' who conquered the Australian continent, as many had failed before them. The Enlightenment view meant that several believed that progress and improvement would naturally develop in the new found land of Australia. There was also a 'fundamental connection between property and politics' in European Enlightenment thought. Moreover, European settlers believed that in order to recognise an individual's private property, a set of laws must be established in order to differentiate their land from other individual's land. Consequently, Indigenous Australians were taken advantage of, as they did not provide these laws for their land. 

In 1642, Justus Schouten, of the Dutch East India Company, provided instructions to Abel Tasman upon his visit to the 'unknown and known Southland'. He was expecting many 'excellent, rich and fertile regions', as well as  'rich mines of precious and other metals'. He instructed Tasman to 'take possession of uninhabited regions, and in populated regions - one must obtain consent of the people firstly before possessing the land...this should be done through 'friendly persuasion' and through small gifts of gratitude and commemoration'. His requests were an attempt to manipulate the Indigenous inhabitants to the European's advantage. 

In contrast, in 1768, in the midst of the Age of Enlightenment, President of Royal Society, Lord Morton provided 'hints' to Captain James Cook. He outlined that 'no European nation has the right to occupy any part of their country, or settle among them without their voluntary consent'. He also stated it important 'not to use forceful methods to convince the inhabitants of co-settling..[however] should natives be slain in the process, it must be explained that it was merely done in self defence'. His 'hints' recommend the opening of trade and commerce, in order to 'advance European civilisation'. As Buchan describes, this was in turn, an idea which is closely aligned with the Enlightenment ideas of civilisation. Furthermore, Enlightenment philosophy saw the Europeans treat the natives in a different manner, as instructed, they '...should be treated 'with distinguished humanity' and made known that they are still considered as 'Lords of the Country'. This is in vast difference to Justus Schouten's advice to Tasman in regards to the native inhabitants of the land.

In addition, upon arrival at New Holland, Captain James Cook describes the natives of the land as 'straight bodied and slender limb'd'. He notes that they 'all go naked, including the women...they are a 'timorous and inoffensive race',  with no 'ways inclinable to cruelty'. Cook also sees that they live as one with nature, without the need for possessions. Cook describes the inhabitants of New Holland in an informative, yet paternalistic tone, describing the natives as individuals with a different way of life. The age of Enlightenment allowed Cook to reject the once common, 'native savage' stereotype.

 

Captain Cook meeting the inhabitants of New Holland upon arrival. 

(as drawn by an unknown artist of Captain Cook's Crew)

Source: 'The Aborigines' by George Weber

http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/chapter52/text52.htm

Outpost of Empire

Many historians have differing views on the founding of Australia. In Lord Sydney's address to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, he explicitly stated the growing problems of overcrowding of jails and places to confine the felons of England. In order to ease the problem, Lord Sydney ordered the transport of convicts to New South Wales, where a colony would be established. He also mentioned the advantages of transporting the convicts, one being the flax that would be available for successful trade and commerce opportunities.

In contrast, in Geoffrey Blainey's book, The Tyranny of Distance, he argues that the colonisation of Australia was influenced solely by the material advantages available from the new land. Blainey argues that Britain's choice to relocate and house their overflowing number of convicts in Australia was a costly and slow process. Furthermore, Blainey believes that if the problem was as urgent as firstly mentioned, Britain would have chosen a quicker, cheaper and more effective option to solve its problems. For example, Blainey suggests that convicts could have been sent to colonies such as Canada or the West Indies, and this would have been a cheaper and quicker solution to the problem of overcrowding. However, as Fox disputes, Blainey's geographical argument overstates the 'importance of distance', as Australia is in fact, geographically, a substantial distance  from everything. In addition, as flax was also of better quality and more readily available in other locations, as Blainey argued that the so-called acquisition of these natural supplies could not substantiate the colonisation of Australia.

As Simon J. Potter contends, many historians have competing arguments about the foundations of Australia as there is little evidence that clearly states the intentions and reasons of the British to establish a colony in Australia. However, Potter disagrees with Blainey and writes that British jails were, in fact, overcrowded and transporting convicts to a new colony was a cheaper alternative. By using the convicts for labour, the British believed that they were able to temporarily solve their overcrowding criminal problem, establish a new colony and also obtain natural resources in the process. Unfortunately their expectations of the new colony were quite optimistic, only to find a land that was unlike the past visit, which was Botany Bay at its best. Nevertheless, Britain was successful and Australia continually became influential in an range of economic, cultural, social and political ways.

 

'The Founding of Australia' 

First Fleet arriving in Port Jackson

By Algernon Talmage R.A.

Source: 'From Penal Colony to Land of Plenty: 1786-1850' by Nicolas Brasch 

Heinemann Library, Australia (2007).