What Kind of governmental system and life did Australia have when it was used for exile by the brits?

by Cthulhu_Meat
ellipsisoverload

This question was asked yesterday, and Agernon_Asimov gives a great run-down:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1wrvgx/how_was_australia_run_when_it_was_still_a_prison/