The Female Emigrants

Between 1833 and 1837, fourteen ships disembarked approximately 2 700 female emigrants at Sydney, Hobart and Launceston under the first scheme for female emigration between Great Britain and the Australian colonies.

At the outset of the scheme, emigration was open to single women and widows between the ages of 18 and 30 years of age, but before the first ship departed, the minimum age was lowered to 15 years. With the inclusion of some selected families on later LEC ships, girls as young as 12 years of age were deemed to be eligible for the government bounty, provided they were travelling with their families.

The women who emigrated under this scheme had to obtain references from two reputable people, as ‘health and good conduct’ were linked as two basic prerequisites for potential emigrants. The final check was an interview by the committee or its agent.

Initially it was proposed that the British treasury would pay to the LEC £6 on the departure of each female eligible for the bounty, £6 was to be paid on the arrival of each woman in the colonies and £6 was to be raised by the woman herself. By the end of 1834, however, the government covered the entire emigration costs for each woman.

Click here to see the names of the women.