Below: This depiction of Cook's first landing in A~stralia shows him meeting the Gwiyagal Aborigines in Botany Bay. In reality, two Gwiyagal men stood their ground on the beach and tried to drive the Europeans away before disappearing into the bush. For the rest of their visit to Botany Bay, the Gwiyagal remained elusive. Claiming the East Coast I n what would b ec ome a pivotal moment in history, on 19 April 1770, HMB Endeavour sighted the tell- tale signs ofland. The ship's captain, Lieutenant Jam~s Cook, had intended to steer towards Van Diemen's Land, discovered by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642. 1nstead, a severe storm blew the ship northwards towards the mainland to what Cook called Point Hicks. Since leaving England in 1768, Cook had fulfilled his mission to observe the Transit ofVenus in Tahiti and then head to 40° South in search of the Great Southern Continent . Instead of the longed-for continent, he had found New Zealand, and had spent the next three months making a full survey of the North and Sourh islands to prove this was not the fabled land th at Ta sm v i and many others hop ed it woul,J b e. O nce i:hi~ fa ct , ,,_ar established, he was rli tu fre,· 10 hcJd home - 11.1 1 vi~ r~ 1- established rout e:; {If Cap,~ Hu, n 01 :he t-:apc 01 C.• ):1 d ?, I~ L ' :~ ;•r.- tc ,t.- I 1 ";>ts'l'/fJfl'' · !'" 'I 1 , er • -· h ( t1use , he arg ued, " no discovery of any moment" ..:ou ld be ff!.ade that way. Instead, he chose to sail back via en c as - ye r-unexplored ease coast of New Holland. Rounding what is now Cape Howe, Endeavour began sailing up th e east coasl of this strange land in search of a landing spot, finally anchoring in Botany Bay on 28 April 1770. Cook gave Isaac Smith, his wife's cousin, the honour of being the first known European to set foot on the shore of Australia. The landing party saw a small gro4p of Gwiyagal Aborigines; Tupaia, a Polynesian priest on board Endeavour, unsuccessfully tried to make contact with chem. They quickly realized the Aborigines spoke an altogether different language and were a culture distinct from the Polynesians Right: The Point Hicks Lighthouse at Croajingalong National Park, Victoria.The area was named by James Cook a'fter Lt Zachary Hicks, .the first man on board HMS Endeavour to sight the New Holland coastline. Following some confusion over the .place Hicks had sighted, the point's name was changed in 1843 to Cape Everard but reverted to its original name in I 970, following research for the bicentenary of Cook's visit to Australia. (( 14 111 ''I! !'"('q ,~ ~ ~ \· ~r..~ ,,,- ' - _: Above: His Majesty's Bark &.deavour - the ship that would make James Cook famous - was forme~y a Whitby "cat" (coal ship) called the Earl of Pembroke. She is seen here leavingWhitby in north-east England in 1768. who occ upied so much of th e Pacific. Whac is more , they see med rclu crn nt to mak e.contact with the Europeans and di s:t ppeared in ro rhe bu sh. While the officers and crew were emplo ye d in findin g wood, water and food, the ship's ari s to cratic na tur a li st, Joseph Ba nk s, and the gentlemen on boa rd ex pl ored rhis intrig uin g n ew land, collecting thousands of b ota ni ca l specimen s. Such was the array of new species d ocu mented here char Coo k changed its name from his original ch oice of Stingr ays Harb o ur to Botany Bay. Cook le ft Botany Bay on 6_May and continued up the east coas t, chartin g meticulously a ll the way. He saw and named Port J ac kson but did not explore the inlet that would l acer sp aw n rh e magnifi ce nt harbour and city of Sydney. He anchored brie fly ar Bustard Ba y, in wh at is now Queensl a nd ; whe re hi s men sh ot rhe large birds that gave the bay its name. From here on, the sailing beca me more difficult as rhey navigared the offshore Keppel and Whitsunday Islands, then on wards to Cape G rafton nea r modern-day Cairns, where he anc h or ed to sea rch for water and explore Mi ss ion Bay. With Endeavour now in poor co ndition , he sailed north across Trinity Bay and pa st Cape Tribulation, so named because - as Coo k l at~ r wrote in his journal - " here began all our troubles". Below: located off the coast of Queensland. ab ou( 9C •~ L · miles) north of Brisbane, the Whitsunday Islands w c:rc ~ 1 • rr mapped by Cook in June I 770. In an example of cut .<.nr he compiled not only accurate charts but also de cail.: •1 i slands and dangerous shoals that strewed his path. ', .I ;I , ·i1 1· ,: i F -U 1 l . ;, • 'I · It 1-~ !, .i; I l~ ,: j ;, ,.,,,__ ,,,- · : \lls- cl!- .-~-, - .'• .t,i: 't: I ""° = __ _ - ~ .:...,\fi ,',/¢:"'(?~, li: 1---::. , .... ,•'AV)'/-,~ •• _'., .• • :-·- ~,- -• ~,,;¥'-5,,:.,J 'ff , f, J ' , .. , •,r,?' ,, ..., -.• • f•• ~f''-i, I ., .-- •~,. _.;, • ~,";"• ',_ ,-~ _1 '-'-"--·'s. 11. .., __ .. _ ~\ - }' • ,. ,, • ;., _ .! -c -:-,~: • I ,, ·",:·:.,r~~;-.;. ·· .... , 1Z. ' ' -~ Below: Cook takes possession of New South Wales in a nineteenth- century copy of John Gilfillan 's painting. now lo st. from the Royal So ciety of Victo ri a. Often attributed c o:: Bota ny Bay, the ce rem or 1 took p la ce on Poss es s ::.:- lsland o ff Cape Yor k. fp ffl WSiw S outh Wales. Looking out across what he realized must Above: A late- Above: Although it looks beautiful , be the rumoured Torre s Strait, he knew he was about nineteenth-century view the Great Barrier Reef can prove co rejo in the known world: ahe ad lay Batavia (modern of Cooktown, named deadly to ships. Cook's journal Ja karta) , hi s only hope to get Endeavour properly repaired. after James Cook. though records the moment Endeavour Ex clud ing hi s e nforced stay at Cooktown , he had sa iled he himself called the struck the reef:"We were upon .~ .'i11 0 kilo met res (2, 1 75 miles) in just eight we eks and area Endeavour River .A sunken coral rocks, the most i .' n.:w co min e nt - and its people - co the British metalled road to the town dreadful of all others on account :.· es p ite becom ing one of the heroes of what was finally completed in of their sharp points and grinding .. :i,e .1 new British colony, he would never visit 2006 quality which cut through a ship's J\ · - ~r ralia aga in. bonom almost immediately:· -~ - .... ~;"!" .. ::: ·~ ~=- _._ - -::---~;. ---:.. - ·:: ...!:._ _ .. _ . ___ !1 _ 1!! _ !1 _ i_ l_ ll l -- 1 -"'- U ~ LQJ The Great Barrier Reef On 11 J1111 c 1 7i 0, E ndeavo ur sm as hed i nto a 11 under wa ter ree f. Coo k and hi s cre w had just di scm·ered 1. he mighty Cr ea l Ba rri er R ee r - a d ea d!~ funnel of co ral mi lli ons of )'Cars old and nanking th e north -eas t co as t. of Aus tral ia. It C.'( L e nd s for over 2.000 ki lometres ( 1 .25 0 mil es ), l )1 ng be1w ec 11 1 6 and 1 60 kil omet res ( 10 and 1 00 mi les) offshor e. R ega rd ed by many as th e lar ges t struc tu re eve r bu ilt . by li,·ing crea tu r es it is ac tuaU y a co ll ec ti on uf so me th ousands of individual reef s, sh oa ls a nd islets. many of wh ich are ex p ose d at l ow ti d e. Uni qu e in tenns of its s iz e a nd sc ie 11tili c im po rt an ce, ii is n ow a popular tourist att ra c ti on and ri ghtly priz ed as 0 11 e of the wo nde rs of tJ 1e natu ra l \\ o riel , £~~:.., ·: ,/ ,! , ,; "' -,,:-~~ "" l-"' '-- '-1.. .i ,~ .. ./ --- -... :· ~ -~ -e~ o:- ' v ~,/fflli,;,.. -=-- - · - HM Bark Endeavour Fo rme rl y c al led Lh e Earl of P embroke and aboul fo ur yea rs old when boug ht by L hc H a\) ' fo r [2.800. His Ma jesty's Bark Endeavour w as a so - ca ll rd ~wltit by c ae or c olli e i: Ju sl O\' er 32 rn et i-es (1 00 f ee l) long. stu rd y and stron g. she " as perfe el. fo r a lon g, o_rage of ex ploration: d es igned as a cargo s hi p. she co ul tl ea rr ) lar ge qu a ntiL ies uf supplies and aro un d 100 me n. w hil e her fl at bo ll om rrduce d th e 1i sk of ru n nin g agro u nd dur in g coas tal s u11 · e. , s. Pensioned o ff by the n av y in I775 fo r £645. she was pro babl _r sc u tll ed hy lhe Briti sh at lh e c 11 t ra. 11 ce to the l mrb our at IU1 ode Island in l 7i8. A full y fimcL io ning and n ea r-perf cc l rep li ca Ender/(lour was bu ih in F J'(' mantl e. Aust ra l ia. wi th her ma iden voy a ge in 1 994. lf[}-===== ~ ~ =-=~ ====-=======~== == ~= I; I ! Far rlaht : Kina: George Ill ( 173 8- 182 0) . During h is reign (1760--1820) thcAmtrkan W.i.r of Ind ependence put an r:nd to the transpo r ntlo n of convicts to Am e rica. Rl1ht: Hydrogn.pher Alexander Dalrymple, who had hoped to command Endeavourinsteildofjames Cook, argued against tn.nsporution to Bou.ny Bay. saying that sending convicts to such a comfortable environment would only encoun.ge felons! Below: Male and female convicts, chained by hand and neck. being led from Newg;ate Prison to Bl:aclcfriars, London, be.fore The Formation of a Plan B y th e mid l7 80s, lhc world was looking very differem bo th politically a nd gcogtaphically from itS slate when Jam es Cook had taken possession of"'Ncw South Wales", In Britain, the Agricuhural and Industrial Revolutions had Aoodcd the town s and cities with the landle ss and unemployed, many of whom had little choice but to beg or steal tu survi ve. Cr ime, or at least the fear of crime, was ri si ng, and the land ed classes rushed to protect thdr property. In little over a century, the number of capital offences qu a drupled from around 50 to 200. Traditionally, the problem of crime had been solved by imprisonment, execution or __.,A, t........ transportation: between 1615 and 1775, over 50,000 men, women and children had America, but following the American War of Ind epe ndenc e (1775-83), Britain had lost most of i1s colonies 1h ere, while France had also acquired several formerly British We st Indian islands previous ly u se d for criminal s. With prisons overflowing, and executions a regular if grue s om e part of life, 1hc British Government had to come up w ith a new solution 10 maintain the appearance of law and order. While s ome judges relished their enormous power of life and death , other s used every device to soften what they considered unreasonable puni s hment s tha1 did not fit the crime. Legal loopholes we re u se d by the savvy, including " benefit of the belly ", through which pregnant women could plead for a stay of execution umil after the birth, a nd " benefit of clergy", whereby a convict who could read and - after 1706 - who merely pl ea ded a first-time felony. could avoid the dea th sentence. How ever, thi s simply served to been se nt to North increase s ci II furth er the overc rowding in Britain's gaols. Enclosures I Lo rd Sydney's H eads of o Pion, sugres'tinf that Br itish convicts be transported to Botany Soy in N ew South Wales. l An extroct from the fist of convicts (tOfether with their crimes) on board the First Acct which orri~d in Botany B oy in January 1788 ----...... '.•),IU •':'• ll I. --- ------ Left: The Industrial Revolution changed the nawre of life · an d work in Br itain. Cottage Industries were re plac ed by mass~production on a factory sc:a, le Th is Sce n e, from 1806 , shows workers at Ru sse ll , Pontife x and Goldwin 's copper and bra ss works at Shoe Lane, L on don -=-- -=-.i .iiln 1-1 - I .·, ,, '.•C•~~ <~ ,· - .~[I , ' IP "Jll /~ ,(J,; '.' , n: ~\•. , 41 ., ', -. ~\ U ..,___ \ 'I:. ", , , ' .,, ' ,•r.fi, .,' ...... ..,.. ,~ - .• • • - ,, ,II ··, ·,u 11 ,.~• , I I -,_' ~I. '' -~ ./'- '· l! ~T ;,; , · ·· '.•,.c / " ff - J. ~·- ' -,_ • ,, C ' ~ '.> _, • :\ _, • : , ,'i'; .,_ 0\' ... ,,. T ,,, t.. 1, ,. :~ ,, ,, , I' - - .,. ' ,. , ; 'i- ' :=--: -~ • ·· ) \ :i \ ~-' 941] .: i ' 1' '-: ·~ ,:: ':·, , "' ., ,ill "; • ' ,:r; .. Right: An execution at Tyburn in the eighteenth century. A condemned rhan a nd woman, with nooses round their necks, are read their last rites by a clergyman , while a crowd of peo pl e, including children, stand watch, I ·1 {- t.~ : <'l ~ , •"--~•..,_ • I. - ,...,., ;tillir' !'l"" - I I ' ~/ - ;,' Yj , • 1 /7 a ; +w -!l!l A stopgap was found iO the stinking, floating ' '. prison ulk s" on th e Th af!leS, but even these were soon bursting che seam s. Transportation seemed to offe r the only g-term so lut ion; the qu es ti on was, where co send the n vic t s? Iniria ll y, a new penal colony was proposed Afri ca but when no suita bl e s ir e could be found , e Home Office minister Lord Sydney submicced to e Cabinet the "Heads of a Plan". The letter, dated Aug ust 1 786 and se nt co th e Lords Commh siont'rs the Tr easury, suggested a n alcernar.ive: Borany B: 1v, bountiful harbour discovered by Jame ~ C r .r 1 -_ So u th Wales that had so delighted , i:e · st, Joseph Banks. The audacious plari proposed suppiyi of vessels for ~he conveyan .::: e ,- , · the Pacific and effectively marked rh , portacion to Ausualia- a practi ce l h?. v • , • ~~"L · !e e shape of a nation. Bo tany Bay possess .::d !.Ls1 ai cL va nc ages: it was a hug e di stance from home, ke eping "p ro bl emn out of sig ht and mind a nd minimi zing th e k of return. lrs locacion~ lso had strategic advanc~gcs: rf ec cl y located to a ll ow * xpansion into the Asia-Pacific so'Ve crying for mercy.7 A... - JJ ·, regions , ic wou ld be a useful base for whalers fo ll owi ng the loss of Nantucket in Ame ri ca, and it seemed to have a plentiful supply of both timber and Aax (for sa il s and cordage), products essential to Britain's maritime empire. Furthermo r e, Cook had carefully mapped the coast, aHowing a great deal of pl ann in g in advance of the first convoy. In 1779, Jo se ph Banks had given ev idence that Botany Bay was fertile, ~anr3 ined ample wood for construction and i'- !_ ... _ ,, ,_- a ~ well provisioned by nature for a penal co1ony. His v iews were backed up by James Mac~a ln the Beauchamp C ommiccec of 1785. The plan offered the Pitt government not only a solution to the convict problem, but the chance to sh ow that it was indeed taking action. Once King Geor ge Ill had given his royal approval, the plan swung inro action. Botany,Bay was about to become Britain's newest colony- and the site of a giant experiment in !empire-building, · -,, 4 ~ --~ {.;,,,: r TJ T Below: Convicts fi:om prison hulks anchored in the Thames off Woolwich. Here they are seen hard at work on the river bank. handling timber with ~e aid of an early crane. Left: The notorious English pickpocket George Barrington (175 l-<: 1805).This drawing was made from his appearance at his trial at the Old Baile y on -I 7 • September 1790 and publi shed by T. Bradsh aw in London six days later. Barrington was sentenced co seven years' transportation in Australia. =([}== -= Public Hangings Public han gi n gs were reg ul ar featu re of _ J,, eig ht ee nth -centu ry lif e, cspec iaU y at Ty bum ; H Lh c ma in exec ution silc in London. The condemned wou ld be paraded th rough the streets from Ncwga te Prison lo u,e gallows I,, L o u, e delight or horror of u,e crowd s, for B r whom hang in gs were a form of public 1 enlerlainme nL Even children aged 12 or _ und er were han ged for pelly crim es su e!, as sho plif t in g, and be t1 vce n H '1660 and 18'19 the death penal ty was applied for 18 7 add iti onal offences including sendin g th reat.en in g letters, co n so rlin g with gypsies and tl ,e cutting or hop bin es, London 's Marble Arch now stands on u, c Tyburn s it e, which s aw its las t. public execution in 1 783. Transportation Th e fi rs t know n menti on of Lran sporlalio n as punishment is round in tJ, e writin gso ftl1 e E li zabeth an _ geographer, Ri cha rc) Hak lu yt ( c.1552-1616 ). ln 1 58 4, he recom me nd ed se ndin g convicts l.o the American colonies to plant su ga r cane and fe ll trees. ln 161 5, U ,e Pri vy Co un ci l o rd ered that an yo ne co n vic ted or a serious cr im e Should ind eed be Lran sporte 1.iit n thetwtlfthc'11tury.wa.snatrl(M forovercrowd i ngmdpoor hygiene.AJsothesiteofJ)Ut:'c executions until 1868,theprison was demolished in 1904 and !he 0ld'& ileyb u 1l t inrtspbce. - - -- -- - 1111111111 The criminals themselves varied widely both in age and felony, though- most of the crimes would be regarded today as perry James Burley was just 16 when he and his friend, George Barland, had stolen a coat belonging to the Bishop of Peterborough in London in June 1784; the boys had been semellced to seven years' transportation and sent on Alex a nd er co Botany Bay. On the Lady Penrhyn and facing transportation for 14 years Was Elizabeth Colley, a 22-year-old servant convicted of receiving a stole linen gown a nd silk cloak worth 13 shillings. She was lucky: her associate had been hanged. -= - --:,:_~ --- - -- ---- Much to Captain Arthur Phillip 's frustration, he knew very little about his horde of convi~ts, as it appears chat many of their papers were not handed over co him before the Ac er sailed. However, one thing the convicts had in common was a general lack of skills that would be useful co the new colony - a major oversight in their seletcion. There were only two experienced farmers amon ·g those sailing, one of whom was Henr y Dodd, Phillip 's old farm servant; there was on e former gardene r-a nd one professional fisherman, while other skilled convicts included a handful of builders and woodworkers, one brick-maker, five shoemakers, some tailors and weav;.ers and some butchers. Most of the remaining convicts had no professional skills whatsoever - arl inauspicious start for the founding of a new colony .. .. Above: The 11 ships of the First Fleet conveyed some 750 convicts to Botany Bay on an eight-month journey. It arrived in Australia with relatively few casualties but scant supplies. Left: William Pitt (tbe Younger) was Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1783-180 I and again in 1804-6, overseeing the preparation of the First Fleet and ~e establishment of Botany Bay as a penal colony. Left: The 350-ton convict transport Prince ofl-11.Jles had just one male convict - George Youngson - on board, along with 49 female convicts. Captain Arthur Phillip (1738-1814) Prior to hi s co mma~d of I.he Firsl Fle el in 17 88 ,Philliphad sc ived in lhe British· na vy (1 7 55 -63), in 1h c Po rl uguese na vy against Spain (1 775 -8) and wiLh th e flrilish na \' y aga in sl France (1 77 8-84). As Lh e firsl governor of Ne w Soulh \Vale s, Phillip struggled with rebellious convicts and troops and two years of famine in Lh e colon y, bul he successfully created a pe rma1 1e nl co mmuni ty Hi s co nciliatory poli cy towards Lh e Abo ri gi n es fail ed lo qu e ll L ension and v iol ence between lhem and Lh e co loni sts. Poor health forced him ba ck lo England in 17 92 , bul he returned L o sea (1 796 -8) an d wa s prom ol ed 10 rear admiral in 1 799 and full admi ral in 1814. Thomas Townshend (1733-1800) Thomas Town she nd , Lh c fir sl \liscotuil Sydn ey , was born in London to a poliLi c3 I and we ll -c onn ec L ed fami ly. Educated al Elon and Cambridg e, he qui c kl y es tab li shed hi s own pol iti cal ca r ee r, be in g el ec ted an MP in 1 754 and serving in Ro ck in g ha m 's Wh ig C ab inel, and l11 cn as Lli e yo un g Wi lli am Pi It 's Hom e Secre lru y in 1783- 9. 11 wa s du rin g Lhi s tim e LhaL he secured hi s grc al es t rec og niLi on, for hi s efforts in es tablishing l1 1e pe nal co lony al Bolan y Ba y. and in "1 7 88 1J1 c new se ttJ cmc nl · wa s 11 am ed Sy dn ey i11 hi s honour. He di ed of a brain ha em o rrh ag e-a l hi s Fro gnal estate in 1 800. I i I - - ~ ===([} - =---==--==~===--J _____,,,,,... v==================_======='"'=a: The First Fleet Sails O n Sun day, 13 May 1 787, th e I I s hip s of the Fi rs t Fl ee t we re all ready to embark on their eight- month voyage m Bo tany B ay. O ffi cial figures vary, but on board were so me 750 convic{s, including around 190 women, and n ea rly 200 marines to keep guard · over their huma n ca r go. Also on board Sirius was the Kendall Chronometer ("Kl"), used by James Cook on his last tw9 voyages. Commanding the fleet was Captain Arthur Phillip, an impres sive: navigator with a quiet competence who was given responsibility for governing the new colony once the fleet arrived. Regarded as a "gentleman, scholar and seaman" , the 48-ye"f-old Phillip was not the favoured candidate of Lord Howe, First Lord of the Admiralty; however, he was both trusted and valued by Lord Sydney's advisor Evan Napean, for whom he appears to have engaged in overs e as espionage and gained valuable experience in witnessing how the Dutch, Spanish and especially the Portuguese operated their overseas colonies. His canny selection would serve the colony and the British Empire well. Below: This chronometer was used by Captain James Cook on his second and third voyages to work out longiwde, replacing the need for an astronomer.At ftrst sceptical of their merits, Cook eventually became convinced of the instn1menu' reliability. Right Richard How. (\72/,-99), 1 I' l j!\ I \; i '• t First lord of the Admiralty during preparation of the First Fleet, was well respected in the navy by both officers and men. Background below: HMS Sirius and the First Fleet at Santa Cruz on the south-east side ofTenerife in June I 787. painted by Lt William Bradley. , ,. ,~ · \II / ·- ~ - _/, ' ' 4 '.5'. -'~,\.1•ti l :J, I r,1·· - ' q, r , ,1 1 ilt\ lH · ' I, But 11: s eas of t! 1 s hi ps ~p(' m 1n akc its way across rhe choppy Above: This 18-46 scene d~(tl r:) ( stop was at Tenerife, where the jail tells on board a convict ~ :. wck ed with fresh food, water ship.However,theFirstflfftof and win e. I in · ....: ,; 1 , ·; •n Ph illip and some of his officers wer e cmenJirid D)' t h.: Co ve rnor of the Canaries- and one of rh e convi c ts, Jo hn Pow e r, tried IO escape buc was recaptured the n ext •·.•'·\' ·'·, ~ ~" Y'~, ~• ..;, ' //J. '- ·1 ··1 t:\t. ' ,,,;t,;;' ,1 - f \'• ~J ,.,μ,,.,,,.J~~ v '1}~ :, \\ ,, ,. ,~ ,- (II •I; i.;: ,.,.;' i 11111111 ~ ..., , \! -i- ~ --. ..... ,._ •"" - ~- ,t i)f.. ~ , ~.r. .. ~'' \. ,' . . ~. v,;\.l ~ \/ ,. -, l l;'''~:°- 11"111P' -.\-,,~f~r,,; l, ~ t:,. ,ti "' • ll'f j " ' ·,~ i;- ,, .,. 'I. '' ., ... 1 ' "' ~, ,,~ l,L , • ·/'_ , #,_, • <, 'L \ .,.. , ,..,,. l ..; ~-,,. -)\ ... ;,..,. .. ,. • . . •)' I:,._. '11: ' ' ',. •' 1 " ,/ ,,:,, • :".; ... .... :,. • - ' , , ' 'J'"' \ , ~ ~ - 'l ' , ~r >' \°4-. .... ' >:: • •• 'i ~/ . ~ '\. -.~ : '.'f1J':: ~ ,.,,. · .<:: .,. ~ ~- .... V~ R• ~ tJ: ,: , 4 ,, x __,_:. ... , - Vj. ... ,.~ ~ ii'r-l• t!.l 'I '~ ,,.. , -~ _I L . ( I , ' ' • "· •- -;r; , ::ari. U:U t • I !~ ; ' , I I' K°"'S.'o.@~,:•1 1 ----...:;.I ~ -- - -- ~~'if. -::: i ·--::~ = - •'qz:,~ -- ~ ·•.,.-it,. I ~ -= - [ /, : ,· -- -= ... - .-~--:-_ .::=-- _ :-- ~:_ = - --" -- ·~......,. 1 -,,~ ... ,- .. ... .. .. .. 7 ' ~ ,, .. .. .,.._ .... -~ 1t.~·..;. -- ·• v- .. ::...;,,,Jj Phillip to keep his ships clean and well-venrilaced, the hoc weather cook its coll: sickness a_ nd diarrhoea added to che stench of rotting food; six convicts died, and many more were flogged for fighting and thieving. The women of the Penrhyn suffered punishments including thumbscrews, shackled wrists and having their hair cue off; even officers had co be chastised for quarrelling and excessive drinking. After further restocking at Rio (including a lar g~ supply of anti-scorbutic oranges for both convicts 2c i crew), the ships departed ·· on 5 September 1787 fo r tb · .r five-week sail co the Cape of Good Hope and, though '. ·, of chem had died since leaving home, according co Cap, hr- Phillip the convicts were "healthier than when we iefc England". Ac Table Bay in Cape Town, the fleet had its final chance to enjoy civilization while the ships were restocked (particularly with farm animals and seed) and repairs were made. From here on, everything would be down to their own efforts. · Finally, on 20 January 1788 - after 252 days, 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) and doubcless to a mixture of ex~:itement and trepidation - the whole of che First Fleet assembled cc ics d es tination, Botany Bay. In all, the journey ,·_ ..:: : 3. success: no serious uq.rest or mutiny, no ,, n o rampant disease . Around 40 cohviccs had : •. , , f:i embarkation and arrival, aiong with a marine, .. :,c·, wi fe and five children - a surprisingly low figure c,;n s ide ri ng che general heal ch of the prisoners. However, the r ea l challenge of the journey had only just begun. Above: HMS Sirius and the First Fleet at Cape Town's Table Bay, South Africa , in November 1787, painted by LtWilliam Bradley. Left: HMS Sirius in Sydney Cove, 1789. This 1792 painting by George Raper shows the flagship of the First Fleet which conveyed Capeain (later Governor) Arthur Phillip to New South Wales. She was wrecked off Norfolk Island in 1790. The Convicts The co nvicts transported in the First Fleet were found guilty of a mixture of c rime s that by tod ay's standards might seem pett y. The following arc a s ample of tho se who W<'r c includ e d: William CHil.,DS /CHIELDS lried al S.outhwark, Surrey on 10 January 1786 for stealing lac e of unknown _ value. Childs /Chields wa s sentenced to transportation for seven years and le ft England on the Alexander aged about 23 at that tim e ( Ma y 1787 ). His occupation was list ed as waterman. Samuel CHINERY Tri ed at Exeter, Devon on 7 August 1786 for stealing goods with a value of 10 shillings. He was sentenced to transportation for seven ye ars and left England on the Charlotte aged about 20 (May 1787 ). He had no occupation r ec orded. He died in 1841. Notes: Described as a " black ", the report on him from Dunkirk hulk was " tolerably de cen t and ord erly" William CHURCH Tried al Dorch ester, Dorset on 16 March · 1786 for stealing livestock (three cows) with a value of 140 shillings. He was sentenced to transportation for seven years, having been originally sentenced to death, and le ft England on the Charlotte aged about - 28 at that time ( M~ 1787 ). He had no occupation recorded. ~- .... - ,_ .: - ..:.:J .c? __;_ ,- - ' - / ·_- ..,,. ... -=-- --- . -,-_ · ~"' - ~ii .· i' 10S1 ;'--.. ' t> -~ 11n;n 1 ·, ,ill ~m1 Notes: 'f.he · report on him from Dunkir~ . hulk _'.: was . "to!erably · decent- and o~er,ly", -3' He · was sentenced to 300 ; lashes on 16 February 1789 f d; stealing flour and a platter. e.:-- > ... ~- ·• =cc~:.~ r. .. 4'~:»-- s'- • J -~~fffl *ii..:;-?.:;:~ ~~ : \", ,• ', ' \ -c',•' - - -· ' ''_...;:::;rr ~ --~- ~ l)» -- !l _ L --- 1 Left: Painting of the First Fleet entering Boeany ·say on 21 January 1788, by William Bradley, I st Lieutenant on Sirius. On ~. s!J t"'!!f-• ' f'.4\ ' JJ i I ,~ 11 11\lli .,.. .-'" _ i ; ,• ~ _. /~l·m ' t : ' ~ 11 1111 ·-. ... -----= ;;-:=~ - -- ~ -, ~=i!J ·; 1 - 1 .. . C. G: = ~ 1111111 - - " . 1 --"-'J ,s ·, ;.=~1111111 .. . 1,_,..-.~ l\~. ~~"'=- ac ~" -'!!!!-_s~ _ _ rp-- ' _. ~ li~ , th CLARK , '.lliiid : at:Oerby, Derliyshrre on ft_ - ~, . . . .. -:· ?. "';, -~ · ·"J J31!uary l Z85"for stealinKclothing, " - }ViJ}i ._ a '. vai~ ' e'. ~f:s;;- slJllings. Sh~ ~rrival, he was.immediately Above: The washing room on board a was ' sentenced . fu, _ ~spqr(ation ,.· ' 'Tor sev~1 r ye~ , ~4 -Ie ft England ·" J ff th, ~ Fr i ends/ up age'd : aJ?oi!t : :20 ': at that tim e (May 1 787 ). :51te had no occup ; ti~, ; reco1 : ded. Sh~ died in 1788. deployed to survey Sydney convict ship, 1846. Conditions on board the harbour; Bradley, Point - First Fleet were far from ideal although the on the north shore was officers and ships' doctors attempted to keep htt _ -, .. - - ,,~ - -- ----· - , ===- --- named for him. their convict cargo as healthy as possi~le '- 1 ) @== · ~ , lw I I~ I' Right The First Fleet arriving in Sydney Cove on 27 January I788 to establish the penal colony, p ai nt ed in 1938 by John Allcot (18811- 1973) an d publlshed In th e Sydney H~il on the eve of the 150th anni¥ersary of the colony J Be low: Sold lers visiting Botany Bay: Mr White. surgeon-general to Port Jac kson, Mr Harris a nd Mr La i ng checki ng on the highly respected Aborigine Colebe, who had been wounded.Th is is one of around 500 pictures in the Watling Collection, named after Thomas Watling, an artist convicted of forgery and sentenced to years' transportation to Botany Bay. The Birth of Ne-w South Wales ------ :•;~ ; - /:ci P hill ip's pl an on the final run from Cape Town co Australia was co s pl it the fl e et cb allow rhe faster ships to get ahead and lay so me valuable groundwork ac Botany Ba y. Hpwever, bad weather on the last crossi ng slowed t h ei r progress, so chat Supply arrived on 18 January 1 788, with a ll the remaining ships joining her by 20 Ja nuary. Preparations were t herefore limited to cutt ing grass for the livestock and s om e un successf ul contacts with the loca l Aborigin es who, un surprisi ngl y, we re l ess than happy at this inv as io n of white men. How ever, mo re pre ss ing was the reality of what lay before the co lonists: rhis was not the lush and fertile landscape described by Cook a nd Bank s. Unl ike the A eet, Endeavour had arrived after the rai n s, when the land was springing to li fe; now the s tr ea ms were re duc ed ro tric kl es, the soil d ry and sa nd y, and the vegetation scorched by the s un . K ee ping rhe convicts on board th eir vessels, Phillip took some boars 15 kilometr es (IO n:iile s) n ort h up the coast to look for "Port J ac kson", described by Cook as offering pot enti al shelter. Her e his luck turn ed: as he entered through two outer headla nd s, the porr exploded into a magnificent deep•water bay which, as Phillip recorded in a letter to Lord Sydney, was "t he , . •) ,' - I -- r.A vi/~ ~ ~, :::-, finest harbour in the world, in which a thou sa nd sa il of the line may ride in che mo st pe rf ec t security". The coastl ine was indented with a. number of coves, which Phillip and his men explored, fin a ll y settl ing on th e one with the best s upp ly of fresh water and where the ships cou ld be moored n ea r es t ch e la nd for unloading . This ·was about 4 00 me tr es (a quarrer of a mil e) across th e entrance, and 800 metr es (ha lf a mi l e) long, a nd he proud ly gave it the name Syd ney Cove. Returning co Boc a ny Bay on 24 Januar y, Phillip and the Acer spotted two French ships on the horizo n, wh ich turned o ur to be the A.srroLzbe an d Bo ussok of the French explorer Lapfrouse. Th e ships arrived cwo d ays lacer and stayed fo r s ix weeks Pefo re deparring on th eir ill•fated voyage. Mea nwhile, Phillip had hasten ed back co Sy dney C ove to secure an Eng li sh clai m: ch ~ Aag was raised on 26 Janua ry and the co lony of New South Wales

الإبلاغ عن إساءة

تفاصيل ال-PDF

معلومات الاتصال

Adobe-Scan-16-Oct-2021.pdf