The following is a list of Australian penal colonies that existed from the establishment of European presence in the 1780s up until the nineteenth century.[citation needed] The term colony had referred to settlements and larger land areas at that time.
| Settlement | Colony | Year opened | Year closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cockatoo Island | New South Wales | 1839 | 1869 |
| Rose Hill | New South Wales | 1788 | |
| Sydney Cove | New South Wales | 1788 | 1840 |
| Moreton Bay | Queensland (New South Wales before 1859) | 1824 | |
| Redcliffe | Queensland | 1823 | 1824 |
| Maria Island | Van Diemen's Land[note 1] | 1825 | 1851 |
| Port Arthur | Van Diemen's Land | 1830 | |
| Richmond | Van Diemen's Land | 1830 | |
| Risdon Cove | Van Diemen's Land | 1794 | |
| Sarah Island, part of the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station | Van Diemen's Land | 1822 | 1833 |
| Saltwater River | Van Diemen's Land | 1879 | 1970 |
| Sullivans Cove | Van Diemen's Land | 1914 | |
| King George's Sound | Western Australia | 1826 | 1832[note 2] |
| Swan River Colony | Western Australia | 1850 | 1868[note 3] |
| Norfolk Island | Other | 1788 | 1855[note 4] |