In Australian history, the name given to the 11 ships which left Portsmouth, England (1787), carrying the first European settlers to E Australia. The fleet carried officials, 212 marines and their families, and 579 convicts plus provisions. Unusual for the time, all who embarked arrived safely in Australia. The fleet's captain, Arthur Phillip, decided that Botany Bay was unsuitable and proceeded north to Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, where he hoisted the British flag (26 Jan 1788).
The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 ships which sailed from Great Britain in May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. It was a convict settlement, marking the beginnings of transportation to Australia. The fleet of 11 ships was led by Captain (later Admiral) Arthur Phillip.
People of the First Fleet
The number of people directly associated with the First Fleet will probably never be exactly established, and all accounts of the event vary slightly. Gillen (see References below, p.445) gives the following statistics:
Embarked at Portsmouth
Officials and passengers: 15 Ships' crews: 323 Marines: 444 Marines wives and children: 46 Convicts (males): 582 Convicts (females): 193 Convicts' children: 14 Total embarked: 1420Landed at Port Jackson
Officials and passengers: 14 Ships' crews: 306 Marines: 245 Marines wives and children: 54 Convicts (males): 543 Convicts (females): 189 Convicts' children: 22 Total landed: 1373During the voyage there were 22 births (13 males, 9 females), while 69 people either died, were discharged, or deserted (61 males and 8 females).
Preparation for the voyage
The decision to send convicts to Botany Bay was taken by the British Government on 18 August 1786, with the responsibility to organise and choose officials falling on then Home Secretary, Lord Sydney and his junior, Evan Nepean. Preparations to obtain ships, convicts, guards and provisions began soon after. At the time the five hulks in service held about 1300 men, and selected convicts, including women from county gaols were transferred to the hulk Dunkirk at Plymouth and the New Gaol in Southwark. [Gillen, p.xxiv]
By October 1786, more than 200 marines had volunteered for Botany Bay duty, and Major Robert Ross was chosen to command them. [Gillen, p.xxiv]
The convict ships (two were originally slave ships requisitioned by the Royal Navy) were fitted out with strong hatch bars between decks, bulkheads to divide convicts from crew, and guns and ammunition.
Convicts were delivered to the transports from the hulks and gaols with no reference to skills, or fitness to contribute to the creation of the new colony. Gradually the ships made their way to Portsmouth, where the last convicts were loaded on the day the fleet sailed.
The voyage
The departure of the fleet must have been greeted with fear and trepidation by the convicts and marines.
With fine weather the convicts were allowed on deck, and on 3 June 1787 the fleet anchored at Santa Cruz at Tenerife. Phillip and the chief officers were entertained by the local governor, while one convict tried unsuccessfully to escape.
The weather became increasingly hot and humid as the fleet sailed through the tropics. Tropical rainstorms meant that the convicts could not exercise on deck, and were kept below in the foul, cramped holds. On the female transports, promiscuity between the convicts and the crew and marines was rampant.
The fleet reached Rio de Janeiro on 5 August and stayed a month. The ships were cleaned and water taken on board, repairs were made, and Phillip ordered large quantities of food for the fleet. While the convicts remained below deck, the officers explored the city and were entertained by its inhabitants.
The fleet left Rio on 3 September to run before the westerlies to the Cape of Good Hope, where they arrived in mid October. The Dutch colony of Cape Town was the last outpost of European settlement which the fleet members would see for years, perhaps for the rest of their lives. “Before them stretched the awesome, lonely void of the Indian and Southern Oceans, and beyond that lay nothing they could imagine.” (Hughes, p.82)
Assisted by the gales of the latitudes below the fortieth parallel, the heavily-laden transports surged through the violent seas.
In November, Phillip transferred to Supply. With Alexander, Friendship and Scarborough, the fastest ships in the Fleet and carrying most of the male convicts, Supply hastened ahead to prepare for the arrival of the rest.
This was one of the world's greatest sea voyages — eleven vessels carrying about 1400 people and stores had travelled for 252 days for more than 15,000 miles (24,000 km) without losing a ship. Given the rigours of the voyage, the navigational problems, the poor condition and sea-faring inexperience of the convicts, the primitive medical knowledge, the lack of precautions against scurvy, the crammed and foul conditions of the ships, poor planning and inadequate equipment, this was a remarkable achievement.
It was soon realised that Botany Bay did not live up to the glowing account that Captain James Cook had given it in 1770. The marines had a habit of getting drunk and not guarding the convicts
properly, whilst their pompous commander, Major Robert Ross, drove Phillip to despair with his arrogant and lazy attitude.
On 21 January, 2 days after he had arrived in Botany Bay, Phillip and a party which included John Hunter, departed the Bay in three small boats to explore other bays to the north.
The party was startled when two French ships came into sight and entered Botany Bay.
On 26 January 1788, the fleet weighed anchor and by evening had entered Port Jackson.
Unknown to the first European arrivals, it was to be almost two and a half years before other ships arrived with their cargo of new convicts and provisions.
Many people died shortly after the First Fleet reached Australia.
Ships of the First Fleet
There were eleven ships in the fleet, namely:
Naval escorts:
HMS Sirius - the Flagship of the fleet HMS SupplyConvict transports:
Alexander Charlotte Friendship Lady Penrhyn Prince Of Wales ScarboroughStoreships:
Borrowdale Fishburn Golden GroveScale models of all the ships are on display at the Museum of Sydney.
Nine Sydney harbour ferries in current service were named after these First Fleet vessels (the unused names are Lady Penrhyn and Prince Of Wales).
Notable First Fleet members
Some of the notable First Fleet members were:
Officials
Augustus Alt, surveyor Richard Johnson, chaplainCrew members who remained in the colony
Arthur Phillip, governor Philip Gidley King, 2nd lieutenant, later lieutenant governor of Norfolk Island, and 3rd governor of the colony John Hunter, captain of Sirius, later 2nd governor of the colony Henry Lidgbird Ball, captain of Supply John White, principal surgeon Thomas Arndell, assistant surgeon, later settler William Balmain, assistant surgeon, later principal surgeon Arthur Bowes Smyth, assistant surgeon, author of journal Dennis Considen, assistant surgeon Thomas Jamison, surgeon's mate Henry Brewer, clerk to Phillip, provost marshall, administrator Quartermaster Henry Hacking, settler, explorer George Raper, midshipman, notable illustratorMarines
Major Robert Ross, commander, later lieutenant governor of Norfolk Island 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clark, author of journal Captain David Collins, judge advocate, later commandant of first settlement at Hobart Lieutenant William Dawes, engineer, surveyor, humanitarian Lieutenant George Johnston, later commander of NSW Corps Captain Watkin Tench, author of journal Lieutenant William Bradley, author of journal, water colourist Private William Tunks, farmer, landowner and member of the NSW CorpConvicts (see also Convicts on the First Fleet)
Ann Inett, de facto relationship with Philip Gidley King Margaret Dawson, de facto relationship with William Balmain Esther Abrahams, partner and wife of George Johnston Mary Bryant (nee Mary Braund) and William Bryant, escapees from colony James Ruse, farmer and landowner John Baughan, carpenter, mill owner, attacked by NSW Corps Jacob Bellett, landowner at Norfolk Island and Van Diemen's Land Matthew James Everingham, landowner Edward Garth and Susannah Gough/Garth, pioneer family Nathaniel Lucas and Olive Gascoigne, pioneer family Henry Kable/Cabell, constable, landowner (subject of Peter Bellamy's The Transports), and Susannah Holmes John Caesar, Madagascan, absconder Joshua Peck, landowner Charles Peat and Ann Mullins, pioneer family Robert Sidaway, theatre owner, landholder James Bloodworth, brickmaker & builder and Sarah Bellamy, pioneer familyMany other convicts made significant contributions to the early years of the colony, but few are remembered today, except by their descendants.
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