Complex sentence: The first inquiry in the nature of a coronial inquest was conducted on 14 December 1788 and was presided over by Augustus Alt, one of the first justices of the peace appointed by Phillip.
Split into simpler sentences: The first inquiry in the nature of a coronial inquest was conducted on 14 December 1788. This was presided over by Augustus Alt, one of the first justices of the peace appointed by Phillip.