The transportation of convicts played a central role in the establishment of the colony at New South Wales. Britain needed a new place to send convicts after losing the American colonies following the American Revolution. New South Wales was chosen as a penal colony where convicts could be sent instead of being imprisoned in overcrowded gaols.

Convicts were essential to the survival of the colony. They provided the labour needed to build shelters, roads and farms in the new settlement. Early accounts from the First Fleet show that convicts worked under difficult conditions and helped establish the colony at Sydney Cove.

Primary sources such as journals from officers describe the harsh voyage and the important role convicts played. For example, John White recorded illness on convict ships, showing the difficult conditions during transportation. Other writers like Watkin Tench described how convicts were used as labour in the early colony.

Therefore, transportation was not only the reason the colony was established, but also essential to its survival and development.