answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Once the convicts, officers and marines of the First Fleet reached New South Wales, there were many challenges associated with establishing a colony in a new and unfamiliar land.

Captain Arthur Phillip, the first Governor, was a practical man who suggested that convicts with experience in farming, building and crafts be included in the First Fleet, but the British authorities rejected his proposal. Because of this, he faced many problems as he tried to establish the new colony.

One of the major problems was that British farming methods, seeds and implements were unsuitable for use in the different climate and soil. The farming implements broke easily in the tough soil of the colony. Many of the seeds had gone mouldy in the humidity or been eaten by rats and mice during the eight-month journey. Also, the convicts weren't prepared to work in the excessive Australian heat and humidity, often downing tools and flatly refusing to work, despite the threats of punishment.

As a result, the main problem was that the colony faced near-starvation in its first two years. The colonists were poorly equipped for the task of settling a new land with an unfamiliar climate. Starvation was averted when, in December 1790, twenty-five bushels of barley were successfully harvested. By the time the 3rd Fleet arrived, they brought enough provisions and more suitable equipment and seeds to help the colony to succeed agriculturally.

Phillip was also on the lookout for more land. He led several exploration parties in search of new land which could be settled and farmed. However, the further they explored, the more they encountered Aborigines. As the Europeans spread out, hostility between the two groups was inevitable.

The colony finally succeeded in developing a solid foundation, agriculturally and economically, thanks to the perseverance of Captain Arthur Phillip.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

AnswerBot

1w ago

The crew and convicts faced challenges such as harsh living conditions, lack of adequate food supplies, disease outbreaks, conflict with indigenous peoples, and communication difficulties. They also had to navigate an unfamiliar environment, with unfamiliar plants and wildlife, and deal with a lack of access to fresh water.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What challenges did the crew and convicts face during the first settlement?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Criminology

What did the convicts do?

The convicts literally built the colony. They constructed the buildings, roads and bridges and quarried the stone for building as well as cutting down the trees. They established the first farms and crops, and tended the livestock. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradesmen to free settlers. Other, educated convicts were given work that suited their education; for example, one of Australia's most famous convicts was the architect Francis Greenway.


Which colony was mostly inhabited by convicts?

The colony that was mostly inhabited by convicts was Australia. In 1788, the British established a penal colony in New South Wales, which later expanded to include other areas of Australia such as Tasmania. These convicts were sent to Australia as a form of punishment from British prisons.


Where did the convicts live on the First Fleet live?

The convicts on the First Fleet lived primarily on the ships that carried them from England to Australia. Once they arrived, they were initially settled in makeshift tents and huts near Sydney Cove in an area that later became known as the Rocks.


Where was the first penal colony?

The first penal colony was in New South Wales, Australia, established in 1788 by the British as a place to exile convicts. It was located in Port Jackson, which is present-day Sydney.


What happened to the convicts when their sentence was over in Australia?

A sentence for a convict sent to Australia could be many years in length. Because of reasons such as good behaviour, some convicts were given a "ticket of leave". These individuals were still watched however, as some convicts had a tendency to reoffend. They were required to report in regularly to the authorities. While on their ticket-of-leave, they were permitted to work for a living in a trade. After a further period of good behaviour, these convicts were given a "free pardon", meaning they could start their own trade, business, or take up land which may have been allocated to them and use it for farming or crops. Some even became Constables for the colony (for example John Smith). Some of Australia's convicts became great pioneers in their field. Francis Greenway, for example, had trained as an architect prior to his sentence, and his work can be seen in some of the old, gracious buildings still standing in Sydney today. George Howe had a background in printing; he published Australia's first regular newspaper. Convicts rarely, if ever, returned to England, as Australia held much better opportunities for them.

Related questions

Which parts of NSW did convicts live in when they first arrived?

The first Australian settlement was restricted to what was then called Sydney Cove. This was in Port Jackson. There were no convicts at Botany Bay.


What percentage of british settlers in Australia come from convicts?

Convicts formed a large percentage of the Australian population for the first few decades of settlement.


How long has there been white settlement in Australia?

The first British settlement was founded with the arrival of the First Fleet in Port Jackson on 26 January 1788.


Which country established the first permanent settlement in Australia?

The first permanent settlement in Australia was established by Great Britain. In 1788, the First Fleet of eleven ships arrived, with over 700 convicts and a similar number of marines and officers.


What year did white settlement in Australia?

White settlement in Australia commenced in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet.


When did the first convicts arrive in Tasmania?

The first convicts arrived in Tasmania when Lieutenant-Governor David Collins moved most of an unsuccessful convict settlement from the Mornington Peninsula to Tasmania, and established a convict colony on the Derwent River on 16 February 1804.


Which Australian city was the first white settlement in Australia?

The city of Sydney, now capital of New South Wales, was the site of the first official European settlement in Australia.Sydney was settled by the marines, officers and convicts of the First Fleet, being founded on 26 January 1788.


Where was Australia's first gaol?

Australia's first gaol was, theoretically, Sydney Cove. The settlement of Sydney in New South Wales was established as a penal colony and populated by convicts from britain.


What rewards did the First Fleet convicts get?

thtdythdr


How many people died in the First Fleet?

The deaths during the voyage were: one marine, one marine's wife, one marine's child, 36 male convicts, four female convicts, five children of convicts


How many people died the first fleet?

The deaths during the voyage were: one marine, one marine's wife, one marine's child, 36 male convicts, four female convicts, five children of convicts


What were the rules for the convicts during the first fleet?

if not in bed by a certain time you will get a whipping and that is all i know