Australian Colonial Settlement

Gregory Blaxland, together with William Wentworth and William Lawson, were the first Europeans to cross the Blue Mountains in May 1813. Compared to later explorers, they suffered few difficulties. However, problems encountered included: * Thick bushland which required machetes to hack through, meaning very slow progress was made. * If they followed the rivers, they invariably ended up against sheer cliff faces or mazes of impassable gorges. * When they first tried to follow the ridges, they often found themselves overlooking precariously steep cliffs which could not be descended. Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth eventually successfully crossed the mountain range by following the ridges rather than the river valleys. After an arduous three weeks of exploring through difficult and previously impenetrable terrain, Australia's first explorers reached Mount Blaxland from where they could see the plains to the west, on 31 May 1813.

The First Fleet did not stop in Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, as it was called then. The Fleet passed Adventure Bay in Van Diemen's Land on 1 January 1788.

Convicts had to clean the deck and look after themselves.

During the 18th century, British prisons were overcrowded with people charged with minor offences. This was an attempt to crack down on rampant crime as people sought to survive unemployment in the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution meant that the development of machines displaced many people from their employment, and the only way to survive was to steal food and other basic necessities. However, because of this, the prisons were so overcrowded that people were even held on hulk - old prison ships - moored along the Thames.

Britain had originally been able to send convicts to America, but the American War of Independence stopped that. An alternative had to be found. James Cook and Sir Joseph Banks had recommended Botany Bay (New South Wales) after their exploration of the region in 1770. The authorities in Britain decided to act on this recommendation, sending the First Fleet of convict in 1787, who then arrived in New South Wales in 1788.

In addition, because Australia was so far away, there was little chance of the convicts getting back to Britain.

* Captain Arthur Phillip * Reverend Samuel Marsden * Captain John Hunter * Lieutenant Watkin Tench

In the early years, convicts were put to work immediately on building projects, particularly roads, and farming. New buildings needed to be constructed as the first shelters were just tents and lean-tos.

The first jobs involved clearing the land. The convicts had to chop down trees, then cut the wood up for practical uses such as building. They needed to clear the shrubs and low bushes as well, and prepare the ground for tilling and planting. This was hard work as most of the English tools were unable to stand up to the demands of Australia's harsher, rocky soil.

The convicts also had to quarry rock and haul it. This was used for building, and in the construction of roads and bridges.

Some of the convicts were assigned as servants to the free settlers or the officers. As the colony developed, the convicts worked in more skilled areas such as smithing, building tools, and even more intellectual pursuits where they showed aptitude. One of Australia's most famous architects, Francis Greenway, was a convict. Another convict with a background in printing was given permission to establish the colony's first newspaper.

No. It would have been a very brave pirate indeed who attempted to attack a Fleet which consisted of eleven ships, guarded by around 250 marines.

The food on the First Fleet to Australia included such items as bread, including a long-lasting "hardtack" bread made from barley; salted beef and pork; peas; oaten meal; cheese; rice.

When the First Fleet pulled in to the various ports along the way, they would also stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables.

The first official discovery of payable gold near Bathurst, NSW, was made by Edward Hargraves in 1851. Hargraves was assisted by John Lister, a man who had already found gold in the region. Lister led Hargraves directly to where gold was found, at Summerhill Creek, at a site which Hargraves named "Ophir".

There were several problems encountered by Captain Arthur Phillip whilst travelling on the First Fleet.

The main problem was lack of rations. Certain foods did not last long in the salt air and humidity, and the crew and passengers (marines, officers and convicts) were reduced to a smaller amount of provisions. Further, the salty sea air caused some foods to perish more quickly.

The unsanitary conditions among the convicts caused problems. Dysentery was rife below decks, and some convicts died as a result.

At one stage, Phillip was forced to discipline several seamen who were willing to help a small group of convicts in an attempted mutiny. The mutiny did not succeed, as another convict revealed the plans.

Once the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay, Phillip quickly determined that the site was not suitable for a new, self-sustaining colony, so he had to scout for a new site. Botany Bay did not have a suitable sheltered harbour or sufficient fresh water. The soil was poor quality and the timber would not serve their building needs. Phillip headed north, where he found Port Jackson, a better place to establish the first colony in New South Wales.

The convicts were kept below decks. Occasionally they were permitted up on deck for the purpose of walking around and getting fresh air, but otherwise they spent all their time below decks. They were not chained or shackled, but they were shut in and secured there by a trapdoor.

The expedition of Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth was unusual because it was the first successful European expedition to find a route across the Blue Mountains.

Instead of following the river gullies as all previous expeditions had done, the explorers sought a route over the ridges, and this was why they succeeded where all previous expeditions had failed. The route they traversed is essentially still the one used by travellers driving over the mountains today. Their exploration was significant because the discovery of a traversible route over the Blue Mountains meant that the colony of Sydney could now expand to the rich grasslands on the other side.

Timber frames, daub & wattle walls, with timber shingles for roofing.

The Captain of the First Fleet was Arthur Phillip.

The Australian government is known as a federal parliamentary democracy, presided over by the Prime Minister. The parliament is democratically elected by the people (for whom it is compulsory to vote), and the Prime Minister is customarily elected by the members of parliament from within their number (he is not mentioned in the Constitution, only Ministers are). The Head of State is the Queen of Australia whose representitive The Governor General exercises the head of state powers on her behalf. The USA government is a Constitution-based federal republic, presided over by the President. Also elected democratically by the people (for whom it is not compulsory to vote), the President may not sit for more than two terms.

Yes he did at the time of being Governor of Australia, but he had not lived with her for years. When she died he married for a second time to a Miss Whitbread of the brewery family. Arthur Phillip had no living children with either wife.Keith Dawson.

Most certainly. The convicts of the First Fleet were very quickly set to work clearing trees, tilling the soil and getting the first crops started. The convicts were very hard to motivate, being reluctant to work in the Australian heat and humidity, and with tools that constantly broke, but they were expected to work hard.

They were also set construction projects, as there were no roads, bridges or buildings. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradespeople to the free settlers who also came.

Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth were the ones who virtually saved the early colony in New South Wales by finding a way across the Blue Mountains. They traversed previously unknown country, and so met with numerous problems due to the unfamiliarity of the countryside and the terrain.

The major problem that the three explorers had was continually confronting dead ends. When they followed river gullies, they ended up against impassable cliff faces. When they followed the mountain tops, they often found themselves on the edge of sheer cliffs too steep to take down their horses.

Lawson, Blaxland and Wentworth were also going through countryside where there were no roads or tracks. They travelled through thick, impenetrable bushland which had to be hacked away with machetes.

Mosquitoes were a constant problem. Another fear was aboriginal attack: little was really known about the Aborigines, and it was not really understood that they were just as keen to avoid Europeans as Europeans were keen to avoid them.

After arriving at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788, Captain Arthur Phillips decided it was unsuitable for settlement because of the following: * a lack of fresh water * the timber was unsuitable for building * the soil was of poor quality * there was no safe, deep harbour Phillip then moved the First Fleet north to Port Jackson, where they arrived on 26 January 1788.