State Library of New South Wales. Over 252 days, the First Fleet brought over 1500 men, women and children half way around the world from England to New South Wales.
Detail from Botany Bay; Sirius & Convoy going in ... 21 January 1788.from 'A Voyage to New South Wales' by William Bradley, December 1786 - May 1792, Safe 1/14 On 13 of May 1787, the fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England. Led by Captain Arthur Phillip, this historic convoy, which later became known as the First Fleet, carried officers, crew, marines and their families, and convicts from Britain to a distant and little known land on the far side of the world.
The Fleet consisted of two Royal Navy escort ships, HMS Sirius and HMS Supply. They accompanied six convict transports, the Alexander, Charlotte, Friendship, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales and the Scarborough, and three store ships, the Borrowdale, Fishburn and Golden Grove. The Fleet arrived first in Botany Bay on 18 January. A day in the life of a convict. Some hapless individuals experienced the full horrors of convict transportation.
It was no wonder that some, like Anderson, endured periods of mental instability. Navy seaman and thief Charles ‘Bony’ Anderson arrived in Sydney from Devonshire in 1834, aged 24. Captain Cook Timeline - First Voyage 1768 - 1771. The artist Sydney Parkinson described three Maori who visited the Endeavour on 12th October 1769: “Most of them had their hair tied up on the crown of their heads in a knot…Their faces were tataowed, or marked either all over, or on one side, in a very curious manner, some of them in fine spiral directions…” This Maori wears an ornamental comb, feathers in a top-knot, long pendants from his ears and a heitiki, or good luck amulet, around his neck.
At the northern end of the south island Cook anchored the ship in Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, which became a favourite stopping place on the following voyages. Parkinson noted: “The manner in which the natives of this bay (Queen Charlotte Sound) catch their fish is as follows: - They have a cylindrical net, extended by several hoops at the bottom, and contracted at the top; within the net they stick some pieces of fish, then let it down from the side of the canoe and the fish, going in to feed, are caught with great ease.”
European discovery of Australia. Key points When European sailors began entering ‘Australian' waters in the early 1600s, they called it Terra Australis Incognita (unknown land of the South).
Between 1606 and 1770 more than 50 European ships made landfall on Australian soil, which was then inhabited solely by Indigenous people. Navigator and astronomer Captain James Cook claimed the whole of the east coast of Australia for Great Britain on 22 August 1770, naming eastern Australia 'New South Wales'. School A to Z features links to third-party websites and resources. We are not responsible for the content of external sites. Joseph Fowles, Ship in Full Sail Passing Sydney Head. Who discovered Australia? First Fleet - Stories. Colonies and the Impact on Land Series: The Australian Colonies (Clickview) The First Fleet to Australia Series: First Contacts (Clickview) ABC online education. ABC online education. ABC online education. Episode 22 - 1798: Sam Series: My Place - Series 2 (Clickview) Episode 23 - 1788: Waruwi Series: My Place - Series 2 (Clickview) Episode 24 - 1788: Dan Series: My Place - Series 2 (Clickview)
Episode 25 - Before Time: Bunda Series: My Place - Series 2 (Clickview) Episode 26 - Before Time: Barangaroo Series: My Place - Series 2 (Clickview) Episode 26 - Before Time: Barangaroo Series: My Place - Series 2 (Clickview) Episode 25 - Before Time: Bunda Series: My Place - Series 2 (Clickview) Our history : Ep. 01 Indigenous Australians - living in country (Clickview) Our history : Ep. 02 Indigenous Australians - the Eora (Clickview) Our history : Ep. 03 Indigenous Australians : fishing (Clickview) Aboriginal connections to country and place - Clickview video. Aboriginal Australians: Before Contact (Clickview)