First Fleet

The **First Fleet** is the name given to the 11 ships that sailed from Great Britain on **13 May 1787**, to start the first European colony in New South Wales. It was the beginning of a plan to send thousands of prisoners to Australia to make convict settlements. The fleet was led by Captain Arthur Phillip. This journey lasted eight months, and used a route across the oceans that had only been used three times; once by Abel Tasman and twice by James Cook.

## Carrying convicts 
The 18th century was a time of great change in Europe, and especially in England. There was an industrial revolution. This was when many machines were being invented for use in large factories. With machines now doing the ordinary tasks of men, people were left without jobs and wages. This made it very difficult to survive. Men, women and even children resorted to theft in order to live. With the rise of machines, farmers were also forced to move to the city to look for jobs. As a result, London had become very overcrowded, and so had the prisons. In fact, prisons had become so overcrowded that convicts had been relegated to hulks (floating prisons). 

To solve the problem, the British Government made the decision to settle what is now Australia in order to transport convicts and soldiers to a new penal settlement in Botany Bay.

There were 11 ships altogether. Two navy ships, six convict transports and three store ships.

The convicts were housed below deck and often further confined behind bars. Conditions were extremely cramped. In many cases the prisoners were restrained in chains and were only allowed on deck for fresh air and exercise. On deck, thick wooden walls were built to separate the convicts from the rest of the ship. The walls had small holes in them so the guards could shoot in case of trouble. The hatches (doors up to the deck) were kept shut with cross bars, bolts and locks. Guards were almost always on duty at each hatch, and a guard with a gun was always on the quarter-deck (back of the ship). People slept in hammocks and there were tables for eating and stools to sit on. 

The prisoners were gathered from places throughout England – Wiltshire, Devonshire, Surry, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, Plymouth and London – many had already been locked up for several years in various prisons under appalling conditions and were in a poor state of health. Many, especially those from smaller country jails were not in good health. Captain Phillip thought that he might have to make one of the ships a hospital ship to care for the sick. The entire journey took 252 days (a little over 8 months). From England, the fleet sailed to Australia making stops in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town. They arrived in Botany Bay in mid-January 1788. 

The journey began with good weather so Captain Phillip decided to let the convicts up on deck.  However the weather would become very hot and humid as the Fleet sailed through the tropics. Tropical rainstorms meant that the convicts could not exercise on deck during this time, as they had no change of clothes and no method of drying wet clothing. As a result, they were kept below deck in the foul, cramped holds.

Some convicts on the *Scarborough* planned a mutiny but were caught, but most convicts were well behaved. They bought plants, seeds and animals to take to Australia. They left on 12 November.

From Cape Town it took the Fleet two months to reach Australia. Phillip took a few ships ahead to start building at Botany Bay. They arrived on 18 January 1788.

## Food and Drinks 
Convicts were given two thirds of the amount normally provided for sailors. Each week, a sailor was given:  Phillip soon decided that this site, picked by Sir Joseph Banks, was not suitable. It had poor soil, no safe place to leave the ships, and no drinking water. Phillip decided to go north to Port Jackson.

On 26 January the marines and convicts arrived at Sydney Cove. 1403 people left Portsmouth. On the voyage 7 babies were born. 69 people died or left the ships. 1332 people landed in Port Jackson which is now known as Sydney. It was a successful trip, as only 40 convicts had died. Phillip named the settlement Sydney after Lord Sydney, the British government's Home Secretary.

The Aboriginal people from the Eora nation lived in the Sydney area.  They could not understand why the British wanted to own their land and make farms with fences.  The British did not understand the Aboriginal people's way of living and there was a lot of fighting and many people died.

Once in Australia, convicts were ordered to build the infrastructure (buildings and prisons) for the new colony. Their punishment was work. Convicts were expected to work everyday except Sunday from sunrise until sunset without a break. Male prisoners were required to do very hard labour. Female convicts often worked as household servants, cooking, cleaning and sometimes taking  care of children. Some of the convicts had special skills and did work such as keeping records, printing, making pottery and keeping the town clocks. Many convicts were sent to work for free settlers. Free settlers were people who came to Australia to make a new life. 

Strict rules were enforced by prison officers. If convicts broke the rules, they could be whipped with the ‘cat-o’-nine-tails’ or kept in solitary confinement for several days, with only bread and water to eat. 

There was a shortage of food during the first few years of the colony. Crops did not grow well so people relied on supplies from Great Britain. Eventually, food

## Ships of the First Fleet 
**Naval escorts**:
* HMS *Sirius* – the Flagship (leader) of the fleet
* HMS *Supply*
**Convict transports**:
* *Alexander*
* *Charlotte*
* *Friendship*
* *Lady Penrhyn*
* *Prince Of Wales*
* *Scarborough*
**Food Transport**:
* *Golden Grove*
* *Fishburn*
* *Borrowdale*

## Related pages 
* Arthur Phillip, the man in charge of the First Fleet
* Rose Hill, New South Wales

## References