Fleet | A group of ships sailing together. |
Escort ship | A naval ship protecting a convoy of other vessels. |
Colony | A country or area under the political control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country. |
Marines | Members of a body of troops trained to serve on land or sea. In the UK they belong to the Royal Marines. |
Convicts | A person found guilty of a crime and serving a sentence of imprisonment or transportation to a colony. |
Settlement | A place, typically one which has previously been uninhabited, where people establish a community. |
Terra Australis | Terra Australis (Latin for South Land) was a hypothetical continent which first appeared on maps between the 15th and 18th centuries. It was later known as Australia. |
Anchorage | An area off the coast which is suitable for a ship to anchor. |
British Home Secretary | The Home Secretary is the member of the British government who is in charge of the Home Office. |
Botany Bay; Sirius & Convoy going in ... 21 January 1788, [watercolour]
Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, 1788.
In May 1787 the British government sent a fleet of ships 20,000 kilometres around the world to establish a British colony in New South Wales, Australia. The first settlement, at Sydney, consisted of about 850 convicts and their Marine guards and officers, led by Governor Arthur Phillip. They arrived at Botany Bay in the "First Fleet" of 9 transport ships accompanied by 2 small warships, in January, 1788, under the command of Governor Arthur Phillip. Finding the area unsuitable for settlement, they actually settled at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson (or Sydney Harbour as it is better known) on January 26.
Over 252 days, the First Fleet brought approx. 1500 men, women and children from England to New South Wales. On 13 May 1787, the fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England. Led by Captain Arthur Phillip, this historic convoy carried British officers, crew, marines and their families, and convicts 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 transport ships, the Alexander, Charlotte, Friendship, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales, Scarborough, and three store ships, the Borrowdale, the Fishburn, and the Golden Grove.
Then, from Portsmouth, the First Fleet traveled via Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro to the Cape of Good Hope, Africa, the last port of call before striking out for Terra Australis.
A direct north general view of Sydney Cove, 1794, by Thomas Watling, [oil painting]
The Fleet arrived first in Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. Despite Sir Joseph Banks' glowing recommendation, it proved to be unsuitable for a permanent settlement, as it lacked a supply of fresh water.
They moved north along the coast and on 26 January 1788, the Fleet arrived at a new anchorage in Port Jackson. The new site had everything our first settlers needed; deep water close to the shore, shelter and fresh water. Governor Phillip named the site "Sydney Cove," after Lord Sydney, the British Home Secretary.
Today this date is still celebrated as Australia Day, marking the beginnings of European settlement.
WASLA Teacher Librarian of the Year- 2017: Jo-Anne Urquhart
- 2016: Lise Legg
WASLA Library Officer of the Year- 2012: Karen Notley