This is a complicated sort of subject that may have many answers.

Most of what I know about the early settlers is what I have read in the hunting books. Most of these authors were well educated and many were from wealthy families, which set off to seek adventure and not necessarily fortune.

Many of these settlers/adventurers died from war, disease, and animal attacks, as only a relatively few of the total population lived to write about it.

The early settlers here in the States suffered similar fates, and were much tougher than I could ever hope to be.

Also England was trying to settle many of its possessions, like British East Africa, etc. There must have been incentives, like cheap land, to get these people to go, which also may have helped to de-populate a supposedly crowned island back home.

I assume something similar occured with all you folks in Australia. You were just unlucky enough not to have any elephants or lions!

In this day and age where every genetic freak and mistake is alive and well, survival isn't too tough. I'm sure I would have been dust by now without all the anti-biotics I have taken over the years. It is not just the tough that survive now.

To be honest, though I hate to admit it, I doubt I would have been one of early adventurers without major incentives. But if my parents had been rich, I believe it would have been easier to be an adventurer, since if the situation doesn't work out, Mom and Dad could always bail me out.