Report of the First Fleet of colonists' arrival at Botany Bay, Australia 1789
£480
SKU: P-6-109571
[Contemporary first hand report of the arrival of the First Fleet of colonists, including convicts, at Botany Bay, Australia, in January 1788, published in the Gentleman's Magazine in March 1789]
A first hand account of the initial British colonisation of Australia and the arrival of the first fleet of convicts at Botany Bay, New South Wales, in 1788, as reported in the Gentleman’s Magazine, London, March 1789. The British government, having transported convicts to America until the Revolutionary War, turned to Australia as an alternative penal destination to relieve prison overcrowding. Following James Cook’s 1770 claim of the eastern coast, Britain sought to establish a presence before the French, and in 1787, eleven ships carrying convicts, marines, and officials set sail. This article details the landing of the Sirius and Supply, the initial fear of the Aboriginal people, and their eventual cautious acceptance of gifts. A code of laws was read to the convicts, who were urged to reform through good conduct. The report also mentions attempted escapes by convicts to French ships—two women went missing—but were refused. Between 1788 and 1868, some 162,000 convicts were transported to Australian penal colonies.
Size 20 x 13 cm | 8.0 x 5.0 inches
Date Published: March 1789
Type: Three antique copperplate pages, on two sheets
Author: Phillip, Captain Arthur
Publication: Gentleman's Magazine
Condition: Good |
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