Guillaume Charpentier L3 Histoire

Production Écrite Anglais :

Sujet : Le rôle de la colonie australienne dans l’empire colonial anglais du XVIIIe siècle à la
Première Guerre mondiale ?

We will ask ourselves the following question: what were Australia’s roles in the
British colonial empire from the 18th century until the First World War?

First, this new colony played a penitentiary role for the British colonial empire, notably
with the first expedition of 1788 led by Captain Arthur to New South Wales. It was the first
expedition of this size, which made such a long journey. It culminated in the founding of a
prison camp. Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Norfolk Island and Hyde Park
Barrack created several prison camps in Australia. Between 1788 and 1868, approximately
160,000 people were sent to prison in Australia.
In addition to playing a penitentiary role in reducing the problem of prison
overcrowding in England, this new colony contributed to commerce for the British colonial
empire. At the end of the 18th century, when Arthur Phillip was governor of New South
Wales, his mission was to maintain good contacts with the aborigines, as well as to establish
commercial links with them. A fur trade was established in this colony, with an exchange
between goods, notably with alcohol, which would have a destructive effect on the
aborigines. In 1808, the governor was overthrown, notably with the revolt of rum, where the
exchange of spirits as a currency was prohibited. Australia also served as a trading base for
the 19th century, including trade with Japan. Australia is also a land of livestock and
agriculture, but the population remains primarily in the cities and less in the countryside.
This colony demonstrated a very strategic role during the First World War. There are
416,000 Australians joining this unprecedented conflict. They fought in many battles, such as
the Battle of the Somme in 1916, where their strategic genius shone on the battlefield. They
played a leading role in the establishment of the armistice by inflicting a heavy defeat on
General Ludendorff. The Australians paid a heavy price for that war by losing about 60,000
soldiers.

To conclude, we were able to see the different roles that Australia could play in the
British colonial empire. Let us first look at the penitentiary role, its commercial role and its
strategic role during the First World War. We can start with the fact that Australia is one of
the first colonies to have its independence.