Journals of the First Fleet

[1][2] The eleven ships of the fleet, carrying over 1,000 convicts, soldiers and seamen, left England on 13 May 1787 and arrived in Botany Bay between 18 and 20 January 1788 before relocating to Port Jackson to establish the first European settlement in Australia, a penal colony which became Sydney.

These personal accounts of the voyage were made by people including surgeons, officers, soldiers, ordinary seamen, and Captain Arthur Phillip, who commanded the expedition.

Their journals document the day-to-day experiences of those in the fleet, and record significant events including the first contact between the British settlers and the Aboriginal people of the area.

[7][8] Bowes Smyth then took charge of the prisoners on the ship when the convicts' surgeon John Turnpenny Altree fell ill at Tenerife and in Governor Arthur Phillip's opinion had proved unequal to the task.

[7] The journal is a detailed account of the voyage, recording weather observations, events on board, treatment of the sick and descriptions of ports of call en route in particular Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town.

[8] His journal is notable for its interest in natural history including descriptions of bird life at Port Jackson and Lord Howe Island on Lady Penrhyn's return voyage.

[12] The journal entries for 18–26 January record first impressions on arrival including interactions with Aboriginal communities and descriptions of the vegetation, intense heat and native wildlife.

[5] His first journal entry dated 22 March 1787 records the full crew list and the women convicts, their name, age, trade, crime and term of transportation.

[13] Lady Penrhyn, under charter to the East India Company to continue her voyage to China for a cargo of tea, departed Port Jackson in early May.

His journal continues, recording the return voyage via Lord Howe Island, Tahiti, China, St Helena and finally England.

[20] HMS Sirius was wrecked on arrival,[25] and Bradley remained for 11 months undertaking a survey of the island, then travelled back to Port Jackson on Supply.

It lists all convicts aboard the 'Friendship', including the date when each was received on board, name, trade, crime, sentence, when and where they were tried, county, and place of birth.

[32] From his arrival in Botany Bay with the First Fleet on 20 January 1788 on board HMS Sirius,[33] Collins was responsible for the Colony's entire legal establishment.

A seaman belonging to the Alexander was so unfortunate as to fall overboard, and could not be recovered – and a female convict on board the Prince of Wales was so much bruised by the falling of the boat from off the booms, (which, owing to the violent motion of the ship, had got loose,) that she died the following day, notwithstanding the professional skill and humane attention of the principal surgeon, for as the boat in launching forward fell upon the neck and crushed the vertebrae and spine, all the aid he could render her was of no avail.The rest of the volume describes life in the early days of the new colony.

Critical of the intended site at Risdon, Collins chose Sullivans Cove as a superior location and harbour for Hobart Town.

[45] Hunter's journal is held by the State Library of New South Wales and describes his experiences during the First Fleet voyage and the early days in the colony.

[46] He also produced many charts, sketches and writings, including An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island, With the Discoveries that have been Made in New South Wales and the Southern Ocean since the Publication of Phillip's Voyage (London, 1793)[45] and a book of sketches of Birds & Flowers of New South Wales Drawn on the Spot in 1788, '89 & '90[47] Upon arriving at Port Jackson in January 1788, Hunter surveyed the harbour and the adjacent coast areas.

[45] In April 1792, following the wreck of HMS Sirius at Norfolk Island in 1790, Hunter returned to England[48] where he was court-martialled for the loss of the vessel under his command, and honourably acquitted.

Philip Gidley King (1758–1808) was the second lieutenant on HMS Sirius serving under Arthur Phillip, the leader of the first sub-colony on Norfolk Island, and later the third governor of New South Wales.

[51] The journal contains details of events important to the community including items such as the weather, the amount of fish caught, persons sick or punished and crops that were grown.

The journal then concentrates on the early events of the colony, such as major naval movements, inland expeditions, scurvy outbreaks and ongoing encounters with the indigenous inhabitants.

[67] In his journal he records that he commanded the Quarter Guard, looked after pigs and poultry, and after arriving at Sydney searched for a lost marine in the bush.

[72] He records his impressions of Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town, where the fleet stopped to restock supplies, and also describes in detail the behaviour of the convicts.

[77] The published edition included engravings drawn from the specimens White collected and appeared under the title Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales: With Sixty-Five Plates of Non-Descript Animals, Birds, Lizards, Serpents, Curious Cones of Trees and Other Natural Productions.

[75] The journal of Watkin Tench, another member of the colony, describes White adopting a young Aboriginal boy, named Nanbaree, who was orphaned by the smallpox epidemic at Port Jackson in 1789.

He remained on board Lady Penrhyn while Phillip took a party ashore at Sydney Cove to plant the British flag,[85] and describes his view of events in his letter: the Governor went on Shore to take Possession of the Land with a Company of Granadeers & Some Convicts at three A Clock in the Afternoon he sent on board of the Supply Brigantine for the Union Jack then orders was Gave fore the Soldiers to March down to the West Sid of the Cove they Cut one of the Trees Down & fixt as flag Staf & Hoistd the Jack and Fired four Volleys of Small Arms which was Answered with three Cheers from the Brig.

[88][89] In this letter he describes the fair winds enjoyed by the fleet as it left England, states that they hope to reach Tenerife in a fortnight, and notes that most of the convicts are "in good health".

[89] He wrote again from Santa Cruz, describing the events of the previous weeks including the discovery of a planned mutiny, and his admiration of Captain Phillip.

[100] While in the colony Worgan went on expeditions to the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay areas north of Sydney and accompanied Watkin Tench to the Nepean in 1790.

Mary Bryant received an unconditional pardon on 2 May 1793 when her sentence expired, while Martin, Allen, Broom, and Lillie were released by proclamation on 2 November 1793.