[ID: An 1850 map of settled colonies of Austrlalia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia). The map only focuses on areas that have been settled rathern than the continent as a whole. Image source is Wikimedia Commons.]

\Charles Dickens was fortunate enough to live through and observe the development of the continent of Australia, which he reflected through his writing. Prior to Dickens’ birth, Australia had been colonized by the British for decades and used primarily as a penal colony. The choice to send convicts to Australia was made because of its distance from Great Britain. While there were free settlers on the continent during this period, they were outnumbered by the convicts that lived in servitude to them. During Dickens’ youth, the general understanding of Australia by British men and women was rudimentary since it was only considered as a penal colony rather than a continent with its own indigenous people and even free settlers. This is reflected in Dickens’ earlier works because he sends his villainous characters to Australia as punishment for their actions, such as in Pickwick Papers (1836-7) and Nicholas Nickleby (1838-9). However, by the time he wrote David Copperfield, the transport of convicts to Australia was being phased out as colonies began to receive their independence. 

In the 1840s, immigration to Australia as a choice began to rise and policies were created to portray Australia as a welcoming and habitable land. Propaganda was used to encourage individuals and families to move, particularly by John Dunmore Lang and Caroline Chisholm. Dickens supported this movement and used his platform to create this idealized version of Australia to peak the interest of readers. The result is David Copperfield, which takes a stance for pro-immigration in comparison to Dickens’ previous novels. Mr. Peggotty, the Micawbers, Emily, and Martha all make new, improved lives for themselves in Australia, after being ostracized or outcasted from Victorian London society. The range of characters that immigrate to Australia indicates that any person, from any background, and no matter their history can make a better life for themselves there. It is seen as a land where characters like Emily and Martha can be redeemed for their actions and lifestyles. In 1851, a year after David Copperfield was published, the discovery of gold in Australia increased its public perception and led to a wave of immigrants arriving which transformed the continent demographically, economically, and politically. From 1850 to 1860, the population of Australia grew from approximately 400,000 to roughly a million. 

Sources

Diamond, Marion. “Charles Dickens and Australia.” Historians Are Past Caring, Marion Elizabeth Diamond and Historians Are Past Caring, 1 Sept. 2012, learnearnandreturn.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/charles-dickens-and-australia/. 

McDermott, Alex. “Australia in the 1850s.” My Place for Teachers, Australian Children's Television Foundation and Education Services Australia Ltd, 2011, myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1850/decade_landing_15_1.html?tabRank=1. 

Ride, W.D.L, and Charles Rowland Twidale. “Australia - A Major Shift: 1830–60.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 Sept. 2020, www.britannica.com/place/Australia/A-major-shift-1830-60.