Henty's Struggle Against Migration In England

Historian Richard White suggests that by the 1830s, those in England originally against migration, were beginning to soften to the prospect. Australia was beginning to gain ‘New World’ status, along with other countries recently colonised by the British Empire. Britain at the time was experiencing great hardship in it’s economy; which when combined with overpopulation, was resulting in a decreased quality of life for those living there. The recent industrial revolution, as explained by Peter Temin, resulted in the displacement of many workers who had lost their jobs to more efficient and cost-beneficial machinery. Outside the city, those living off land and agricultural profits, also found themselves in trouble. Marnie Basset described the …show more content…
Henry Melville described the decreasing state of the economy as causing ‘unprecedented distress’ and ‘confirming the approach of often prophesised crisis’. The colonies’ imports had exceeded their exports and was therefore resulting in debt. Melville again described this impact as one that left the settlers ‘in an almost destitute state’. Broome discusses the discovery of the Henty’s inhabitation in the Port Phillip District as being a large motivating factor for those seeking opportunities across the straight. For some years, whalers and sealers had brought back glowing news of the rich land, but those in the colonies had been reluctant to act due to official discouragement. The Hentys’ inhabitation however secured hope for the prosperous land. John Mitchel additionally examined the existence of a ‘convict stain’ for which Van Diemen’s land had acquired. Struggling to overcome its penal origins, the fraudulent and violent place that Van Diemen’s Land had become, contrasted greatly to The Port Phillip District; a land with a clean past additionally holding appeal for the