Australia settled by American loyalists and coolies

[Phalamus]

In 1783, American loyalist James Matra petitioned to the British crown for the establishment of a colony in New South Wales, Australia.

This of course, a mere 5 years before British colonization began IOTL, but what is interesting is that Matra's plan appeared to be very different from the form the Australian settlement actually ended up taking in our hsitory. Rather than a penal colony, he envisioned it primarily as a refuge for his fellow American loyalist exiles, and he seemingly planned to recreate the plantations of the southern US using Chinese and Pacific Islander coolie labour instead of African slaves:

If the Government be disposed to extend this plan, two vessels may be sent with two companies of marines, selected from among such of that corps as best understand husbandry, or manufacturies, and about twenty artificers, who are all the emigration required from the parent State; these last to be chiefly such as are taken on board ships of war for carpenters’ and armourers’ crews, with a few potters and gardeners.
These twenty men and the marines, under a proper person, to be left at the new settlement, with materials and provisions, to prepare for the reception of the intended settlers, that their wants may be as few as possible on their arrival.
As the ship, or ships, stop at the Cape of Good Hope, a sufficient stock to begin with of cows, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, and seeds may be obtained there. A supply of the like articles, as well as cotton seeds, plantains, grapes, grain, &c., &c., may be had in any quantity at Savu or any of the Moluccas, which are very near New South Wales.
When the landing is effected the smaller vessel may be dispatched home with the intelligence; and while the party designed to be left are superintending the gardens and increase of live stock, the other ship may, if thought proper, be despatched to New Caledonia, Otahite, and the neighbouring islands to procure a few families there, and as many women as may serve for the men left behind. There is every reason to believe they may be obtained without difficulty. If but one vessel goes, the party with their stock may be left without apprehension of danger from the natives.
Sir Joseph Banks is of opinion that we may draw any number of useful inhabitants from China, agreeably to an invariable custom of the Dutch in forming or recruiting their Eastern settlements.

If Australia had been colonized in accordance with this early proposal, how would it have developed?

 

[Fatt Shea]

Interesting question, I haven't heard about this..
Firstly I think it would be hard to get loyalists to agree to go there since its so far compared to lets say Canada (maybe this plan would be more likely if the US took Canada.) So there would be little settlement at first, this might lead to an imbalance with the population with there being a lot more slaves than whites. The slaves would probably be used mainly for farm labour rather than cash crops since Australia can't grow any, though due to the low white population they might end up taking on more roles, kind of like what happened in ancient Rome. The Chinese coolies would probably be treated better than the pacific islanders due to them being considered superior to them in the racial hierarchy of the time, with Chinese coolies usually being given higher level roles in the household, for instance you might have islanders in the farms while the Chinese look after the stables or help with house work, this likely leads to the islanders resenting them and the Chinese viewing themselves as superior to them.
After being freed we likely see a jim crow like system being put into place. (I might continue the history of this if there is interest)

Another thing is that this likely makes treatment of Aboriginese Australians worse than OTL, since they already have the precedent of having slaves we could see them being enslaved officially but them being used in forced labour would defeinitely continue but in larger numbers.

We would also see pacific islands being far more devastated than OTL with more smaller ones being fully depopulated.