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Australian Colonial Settlement
Arrival of the first fleet, establishment of the colonies, and the period up to Federation in 1901.
992 Questions
What food did the convicts of the first fleet eat on the ships?
The food eaten by convicts was a portion of that allotted to the marines and seamen, who were to be given the following rations:
- seven pounds of bread a week
- four pounds of salted beef
- two pounds of salted pork
- two pints of peas
- three pints of oatmeal
- six ounces of butter
- three-quarters of a pound of cheese
- half a pint of vinegar
- three and a half pints of rum
- a pound of fresh bread or, when that ran out, a long-lasting "hardtack" bread made from barley
An undetermined amount of rice was included, as well as some of the fruits and vegetables purchased at each stop along the way, depending on its availability.
The convicts were allotted three-quarters of that amount of rations, except for the alcohol, of which they were given none. In reality, when provisions ran low, everyone was on reduced rations, while just after stocking up at one of the stops, everyone ate much better for awhile.
The officers had much better fare. They were given Port to drink, and they had a variety of roasted meats such as chicken or pork (freshly slaughtered from the stock on board) as well as fruits and roasted vegetables.
How long did the first fleet have to wait for new supplies?
The First Fleet had to wait until the arrival of the second Fleet for new supplies. This was just over 2 years and 4 months.
The second fleet arrived in early June 1790 with new settlers, and fresh supplies. The problem was, it also arrived with more convicts than the supplies catered for, and starvation in the colony remained a very real problem until the arrival of the Third Fleet in 1791.
How many convicts were on the first fleet ships?
- The Alexander - 195 male convicts
- The Charlotte - 88 male and 20 female convicts
- The Friendship - 76 male and 21 female convicts
- The Golden Grove - no convicts
- Lady Penrhyn - 101 female convicts
- Scarborough - no convicts
- Prince of Wales - one male convict and 49 female convicts
The remaining ships did not carry any convicts.
- H.M.S. Sirius - skippered by Captain John Hunter, carried Captain Arthur Phillip
- H.M.S. Supply - carried 50 people, skippered by Captain Henry Bull
- Borrowdale - skippered by Master Readthorn Hobson
- Fishburn - skippered by Master Robert Brown
What were the conditions of the journey and arrival of the First Fleet in Australia?
Conditions on the First fleet were not pleasant, but they could certainly have been worse.
The journey was long and difficult, and most of the convicts had never even set foot off England's shores. Many of them experienced seasickness, especially once the fleet crossed the equator and weather turned stormy and the seas turbulent.
The convicts were treated better on the First Fleet's ships than on the second and third fleets. Captain Arthur Phillip was fair and just, and he had a genuine desire to reform the convicts. Although he was compelled to treat the convicts as the prisoners they were, he tried (with very limited resources) to keep them as healthy as possible.
The convicts were kept below decks for most of the journey, but permitted above deck on occasion in order to get fresh air and exercise. Rations were not too limited, but sickness was rife, particularly cholera, fever, scurvy and dysentery. The convicts had a busket of fresh water for drinking and washing and a bucket for their waste, and the convicts themselves had to empty the waste.
The food eaten by convicts was fairly ordinary. Conivcts were given a portion of that allotted to the marines and seamen, who were to be given the following rations:
- seven pounds of bread a week
- four pounds of salted beef
- two pounds of salted pork
- two pints of peas
- three pints of oatmeal
- six ounces of butter
- three-quarters of a pound of cheese
- half a pint of vinegar
- three and a half pints of rum
- a pound of fresh bread or, when that ran out, a long-lasting "hardtack" bread made from barley
Scurvy was a problem, as in between ports where fruits and vegetables were purchased at each stop, availability of fresh foods was extremely limited.
Convicts were not punished unnecessarily, but only if they did something that threatened the other passengers or the marines. Unfortunately, Phillip (who had quite high morals) could not be on all the ships at the same time, and the marines had a tendency to use the convict women for their own purposes. At the same time, many of these women were quite prepared to offer their "services" for a few extra rations.
What date did the First Fleet arrive in Botany Bay?
The First Fleet landed in Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. However, as Botany Bay was unsuitable for establlshing a new colony for a variety of reasons, the fleet moved to Port Jackson, where they settled, on 26 January 1788.
N.B. The First Fleet, which transported convicts to Australia, should not be confused with other notable voyages there, such as the first known landing, by Willem Janszoon in 1606, or Lieutenant James Cook's expedition, which left Great Britain in 1768 and landed in Botany Bay in 1770.
Why did the First Fleet go to Cape Town?
The First Fleet did not "choose" to come to Australia. The British Government decided to establish a colony in Australia and sent 11 ship loads of people, including convicts, to do it.
Conditions in England in the 18th century were tough: the industrial revolution had removed many people's opportunities to earn an honest wage as simpler tasks were replaced by machine labour. As unemployment rose, so did crime, especially the theft of basic necessities such as food and clothing. The British prison system was soon full to overflowing, and a new place had to be found to ship the prison inmates. The American colonies were no longer viable, following the American war of Independence. Following Captain Cook's voyage to the South Pacific in 1770, the previously uncharted continent of New Holland proved to be suitable. Cook had claimed the eastern half of the continent for England, naming it "New South Wales", and determined that a small bay in the south which he named "Botany Bay" would present the ideal conditions for a penal colony.
On 18 August 1786 the decision was made to send a colonisation party of convicts, military and civilian personnel to Botany Bay, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, who was appointed Governor-designate.
What were some problems the First Fleet faced in New South Wales?
When the First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay on 18 January 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip immediately determined that there was insufficient fresh water, an absence of usable timber, poor quality soil and no safe harbour at Botany Bay. The fleet moved north to Port Jackson, arriving on 26 January 1788.
Governor Phillip was a practical man who originally suggested that convicts with experience in farming, building and crafts be included in the First Fleet, but his proposal was rejected. Because of the short-sightedness of the British politicians and authorities, Phillip faced many obstacles in his attempts to establish the new colony. British farming methods, seeds and implements were unsuitable for use in the different climate and soil, and the colony faced near-starvation in its first two years. Phillip also worked to improve understanding with the local Aborigines. The colony finally succeeded in developing a solid foundation, agriculturally and economically, thanks to the perseverance of Captain Arthur Phillip.
What was the first port of call for the first fleet?
The First Fleet made three stops.
- From Portsmouth, Britain to Tenerife in the Canary Islands , off the north western coast of Africa.
- From the Canary Islands, the Fleet passed the Cape Verde Islands, off the west coast of Africa, but strong winds prevented the Fleet from stopping there. From the Cape Verde islands the Fleet moved on to Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, where it reprovisioned.
- The next stop was the Cape Town, on the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), from where it continued on to New South Wales.
Why did the convicts come to Australia?
The convicts came to Australia because they had no choice. Britain's prisons were overcrowded, the Empire wanted to have a presence in the Pacific, and it was the logical solution. No other European nation had yet colonised the Australian continent, so as far as Britain was concerned, the land was freely available.
How many convicts on the first fleet died?
Considering the distance they travelled and the rough seas over which they journeyed, very few convicts on the First Fleet died. Those who did were affected by diseases such as dysentery and cholera. Despite Captain Arthur phillip's best inetntions at keeping the convicts well looked afer, conditions below decks were unsanitary, and this was the leading cause of deaths.
What was the first ship to circumnavigate Australia?
This was Matthew Flinders. Matthew Flinders's circumnavigation of Australia was undertaken between December 1801 and June 1803. On this journey, he discovered that Australia was a single continent, and not split by a large gulf or river, as had been theorised.
Where were first fleet convicts settled when they arrived in Australia?
The First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. Captain Arthur Phillip immediately determined that there was insufficient fresh water, an absence of usable timber, poor quality soil and no safe harbour at Botany Bay. Thus the fleet was moved to Port Jackson, arriving on 26 January 1788.
Yeppp, but it's not "colonies" it is, "colonially". Colonies (colony) is a NOUN. Colonise is the verb and colonial is the adjective.
What did the middle colonies and southern colonies have in common?
well a similarity in the new England colonies is that shipbuilding was a main industry and in the southern colonies it was to
When did the Greeks establish colonies and where were the colonies located?
They had limited farmland, and with a burgeoning population which even endless internal wars could not control, they sent their surplus people by ship to sieze new land and establish their own city-states, resulting in over 2,000 Greek cities around the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
What was the effect on the Australian Aborigines when the white settlers came?
very poorly, they took their lands a fought amd killed the abos if necessary to conquer them and steal their lands. They did not respect their culture or traditions in most cases and often discriminated against them much as whites did in the USA toward native Americans and black slaves. I am unsure if they were enslaved like Africans were in the USA but it wouln not surprise me if some of this did not go on!
What are the advantages of colonies?
The proprietor was given the same rights as an government official meaning that they could levy taxes, create laws and have their own military to protect them. I don't really see any benefit for the colonies, the only benefits were to the proprietors. They were collecting profits, take advantage of their working and negligence of the colonies.
What was the first reaction of the aboriginal people to the first fleet?
The initial reaction of the Aborigines was curiosity.
Some thought that the strange white men might be ghosts of their ancestors. After that, there was a mixture of hostility, suspicion and friendliness, depending upon the reactions of the European settlers.
What are three reasons cities grew in the early 1800s?
I really don't know for sure. According to my Texas history book, urbanization is understood to mean people working in a city. So some reasons for urbanization would conclude:
*Working: To get money
*A mother raising her young; being a stay at home mom is a lot of work as well.
*Running your own business
I really do hope this helped. Thanks you for having the time to read my nerdy note. Thanks so much...and I'm so sorry if i didn't give you exact information. I appreciate your time! :)
Who was the last person on the First Fleet to die and when was it?
The last man (and the last person) from the First Fleet to die was John Harmsworth, who was the son of a soldier on the First Fleet, on the 'Prince of Wales'. Harmsworth died at 73 years old on 21 September 1860.
However, the last actual male convict was William Bond, who died in Sydney in 1839.
The last surviving female First Fleeter was Betty Kingaka Elizabeth Thackery who died age 89 on 7 August 1856 and was buried in Hobart.
Who benefited from the arrival of the first fleet?
The British government, certainly not the indigenous Australians.
There was a need to do something about the large amount of people in overcrowded British prisons but the real reason was for Britain to gain a naval stronghold in the Pacific. The convicts were used just like slaves and when people began to arrive of their own free will the convicts were sent to work with them. When new convict ships arrived the convicts were herded into an area and selected by the free settlers.
The British thought very little of the Aboriginals and their were moves afoot akin to genocide to remove them altogether from the land!For example, in August 1824 Martial Law was declared in the mid west of NSW around Bathurst. "The squatters armed themselves and shot any black people ...as if they were shooting dogs" (Mary Coe, Windradyne, A Wiradjuri Koorie, 2nd Edn, Aboriginal Studies Press, (1989))
It has been estimated that when the First Fleet arrived in 1788 there were some 750,000 indigenous Australians. By 1888 the number was around 60,000.
An absolute disgrace
What was the first steel ship called?
In 1881 the Servia, a merchant steamer capable of crossing the Atlantic in 7 days, was the first vessel to be constructed of steel.
In 1858 the "Ma Roberts" was built by John Laird for Dr David Livingstons Zambezi expedition
A colony of coral is actually many individual pieces of corals living together.
How did First Fleet convicts get home?
They didn't.
For most of the convicts, there was nothing waiting for them back home after they served out their 7 or 14 years, and some had a life sentence. Most of them took up the new opportunities available to them in New South Wales, whether farming or doing a trade.
What work did male convicts do?
Depends on when you are talking about. I'm from England, where they can be notoriously cruel bastards, which is why I escaped, but up until as late as the 1960s men who were "hard" cases and done serious crimes (serious crimes usually involve poor people stealing from the wealthy, did you notice that?) like bank robbery or train robbery or most everything short of murder for which they were (rightly so in my opinion) hanged in pretty short order without the 10 years on death row crap we get here in the US.
Anyway, these "hard" cases were sentenced to many years at "hard labour" which essentially meant that they were put into a particularly miserable prison with a huge rock pile and they spent most of every waking hour smashing rocks with a big hammer. When they were all smashed, they bought in another truckload of rocks. I suppose the smashed rocks became gravel for the driveways of the wealthy so they could hear the tires on their Jaguar crunch nicely as they reflected on how cleverly they had managed to steal another million pounds or dollars or francs or rubles or yen with some creative "standard accounting practices."
I understand work in prison today is at least more productive. Yes, they punch out license plates, but there are many lifers who would probably smash your face clean through the back of your head for less than nothing who make beautiful wooden toys or ships that are sold and the money returned to buy more supplies in an economy that doesn't allocate much money for mahogany for prison workshops. Their is a store in Maine that sells such items, and quite beautiful and expensive some of them are, and I believe a good slice of that actually goes to local charities.
