 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Eighteenth Century Britain was a nation in transition with poverty deeply structured into society. More than half the population was unable to survive on their income & some of these people resorted to stealing - sometimes just a loaf of bread to feed their family & for this crime they could receive sentence of hanging or, transportation. These felons were sent firstly to the dreaded prison hulks on the Thames, or other overcrowded prisons while awaiting transportation to America. The Americans decided they were sick of being a dumping ground for convicts & said, "enough is enough". Instead of convicts for a limited term of sentence they preferred black slaves from Africa as they had these for life.
So where to send these convicts? Captain Cook had discovered this rich & fertile land called New South Wales - & the British authorities knew they needed to settle this land before the French or Portuguese claimed it for their own. On the recommendation of Matra, it was decided to send a fleet of convicts under Captain Arthur Phillip to be the first British Settlers. In 1785, William Pitt was Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs was Lord Sydney when the Government published its plan to send convicts to New South Wales. The expense had to be considered and the project would need to become rapidly self-supporting.
Matra's Letter
Captain Arthur Phillip was chosen as commanding officer of the fleet and Governor of the new colony. This was an excellent choice as he had been educated at Greenwick and later entered into the Royal Navy. After serving some years in the Navy, he had retired to experiment with being a farmer, later returning to the sea "on loan" to the Portuguese navy. This combination of farming and naval background made him a most suitable leader both for the voyage to the colony and for its settlement.
There were 11 ships in the First Fleet, H.M.S. SIRIUS Naval Flagship, H.M.S. SUPPLY Naval Tender, the smallest & fastest ship of the fleet, BORROWDALE Storeship, FISHBURN Storeship & GOLDEN GROVE Storeship. The Convict Transports were SCARBOROUGH, carrying 208 male convicts, ALEXANDER, carrying 195 male convicts, FRIENDSHIP, carrying 76 male & 21 female convicts, CHARLOTTE, which carrying 88 male & 20 female convicts, PRINCE OF WALES carrying 1 male & 49 female convicts, LADY PENRHYN carrying 101 female convicts.
Voyage of The First Fleet
Captain Arthur Phillip hoisted his flag on board the SIRIUS as Commodore of the Squadron & weighed anchor at daybreak setting sail on 13th May 1787. So began the long & arduous voyage of eleven small ships carrying approximately 1,350 people, food supplies & the necessary building materials etc. to set up a colony. Sailing from Portsmouth in England via Tenerife where they stopped for fresh supplies, across the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro, then to Cape Town where they loaded livestock, a further 10 weeks sailing over the Indian Ocean before sighting the coast of NSW on 3rd January 1788. On 19th & 20th January 1788 they finally anchored at Botany Bay, which was found to be unsuitable, due to lack of water. After exploration, Port Jackson was selected as the place for the new settlement & on 22nd January the Governor named a cove 6 miles inside the harbour, Sydney Cove, after Lord Sydney. The rest of the fleet was brought to Port Jackson & on 26th January 1788 Governor Phillip formally took possession of the Colony of NSW in the name of the King of England. British colours were hoisted on Dawes Battery 26th January 1788.
Port Jackson 26th January 1788
So began the colonisation of New South Wales in the Country of New Holland, as it was known.
The people of the First Fleet came from many nationalities: - North American, Black Africans, Americans, West Indians, Jewish, French, Swedish, Dutch, Portuguese, German, Norwegian, Gypsies, as well as Scots, Irish & English so as you can see we have always been a multicultural nation.
This Website last updated 16th January 2007