To some extent the unknown country of Australia was a "fatal shore", a land of suffering and hardship for the English, however after its early years, the colony began to flourish and Australia was established as a land of opportunity. Events in Britain, such as the Industrial Revolution, encouraged people to consider migrating to Australia for a better life as many members of the working class were deeply affected. Furthermore, increased crime due to unemployment led to overcrowding in prisons and the absence of destinations for transporting prisoners, especially after the American Revolutionary War of the 18th century. And so, the English embarked on a new settlement project, which led to long struggles for some and great opportunities for others. In its early years the colony was at risk of starvation; disease and malnutrition flourished, largely because the British colonists were unfamiliar with the colony's diverse environment. The English, especially those who arrived with the First Fleet in 1788, were catastrophically unprepared and the chances of building a sustainable colony seemed slim as crops failed due to tools, seeds and methods unsuited to the Australian environment. Their unfamiliarity with the country resulted in a struggle for survival, and members of the struggling colony were subjected to strict food rationing. Arthur Bowes Smyth, who sailed with the First Fleet, recorded in his diary that “the wood itself was not suitable for building purposes. or anything but fire - The soil at great depth is nothing but black sand... the surrounding trees are not suitable for vegetation, not even the grass itself...", showing that upon arrival the English faced many problems including for example the lack of resources...... middle of paper ......, the colony finally began to flourish and prosper, proving that Australia was not just a 'Fatal Shore'.Works CitedAustralia.com , ( 2014). History of Australia. [Online] Available at: http://www.australia.com/about/culture-history/history.aspx [accessed 20 April 2014].Sl.nsw. .gov.au, (2014). Arthur Bowes Smyth |. State Library of New South Wales. [online] Available at: http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/terra_australis/journals/ bowes_smyth/index.html [Accessed 15 April 2014].Sl.nsw.gov.au, (2014). James Campbell |. State Library of New South Wales. [online] Available at: http://www. sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/terra_australis/letters/campbell_james/index.html [Accessed 15 April 2014].Sydney Living Museums, (2014). Who we are. [online] Available at: http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/about-us [Accessed 20 April. 2014].