Around the time that Australia was founded as a penal colony, English property-defense laws were pretty insane, to the point that it became known as the Bloody Code[1]. Grand Larceny, a capital offense, was defined as theft of anything valued at twelve pence or higher. In modern terms, that's somewhere between five and two hundred fifty pounds. There are some interesting lists[2], but mostly they are low-level theft, poaching, livestock-rustling, smuggling and desertion. Also, transported prisoners had a pretty high chance of being Irish.

There are elements of class warfare and repression of minorities that are not unlike current narcotics law.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Code

[2] http://www.convictrecords.com.au/crimes