Transportation policy and the colony's skills shortage

Britain wanted a new transportation destination after losing access to the American colonies, and Australia also offered a naval advantage. Early proposals had imagined American Loyalists establishing the kind of British society they believed the Revolution had displaced. Transportation later supplied the expedition's numbers and removed prisoners far beyond an easy route home. The practical mismatch was severe: a colony needed tradespeople, industry, farming, and trusted armed labor, while many transported people had skills that did not directly build houses, food systems, or defenses. Even useful hunting knowledge raised a security dilemma because allowing convicted poachers to range with firearms could deepen conflict with Aboriginal communities. Raw manpower totals did not amount to a balanced founding population.