What are facts about the First Fleet which sailed from England to Australia?

Answer 1

The First Fleet to Australia was commanded by Captain Arthur Phillip who had been appointed Governor-designate of the proposed British penal colony of New South Wales.

There were 11 ships of the First Fleet, and they included:

• The leading ship, or flagship, the HMS Sirius
• HMS Supply, the supply ship
• The three supply ships which were the Borrowdale, the Fishburn and the Golden Grove
• Convict transport ships, which included The Alexander, The Charlotte, The Friendship, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales and Scarborough
• The First Fleet had at least 1,350 people. 780 of them were convicts, and 570 were freemen, women and children. This figure also included four companies of marines.
• There were no murderers aboard the First Fleet. The convicts on the First Fleet came from all walks of life. Most of them were ordinary people, made up of thieves, pick-pockets, forgers, petty criminals and the unemployed just struggling to survive and driven to steal food.

The First Fleet left Portsmouth, England on 13 May 1787, making three stops.

• It travelled 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. It arrived at Botany Bay, New South Wales on 18 January 1788 but due to the unsuitability of the bay for settlement, moved further north to Port Jackson, arriving there on 26 January 1788.

The First Fleet carried enough livestock and provisions to start a new settlement in New South Wales, but much of the seed was destroyed by either rats or mould due to the humidity on the trip.

Answer 2

The First Fleet was made up of eleven ships which arrived in Australia in January 1788, carrying convicts, officers, marines and their families. They arrived at Port Jackson, now known as Sydney, New South Wales, to establish a convict colony.

The ships of the First Fleet included:

• HMS Sirius - the flagship
• HMS Supply - armed storeship
• The Alexander - transport and the biggest ship
• The Borrowdale - storeship
• The Charlotte - transport
• The Fishburn - storeship
• The Friendship - transport
• Golden Grove - storeship
• Lady Penrhyn - transport
• Prince of Wales - transport
• Scarborough - transport

The First Fleet travelled from Portsmouth, to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. From there it continued on the Rio de Janeiro in South America, then across to South Africa. It then continued east to New South Wales.

Answer 3

The First Fleet was made up of eleven ships which arrived in Australia in January 1788, carrying convicts, officers, marines and their families. They arrived at Port Jackson, now known as Sydney, New South Wales, to establish a convict colony.

The ships of the First Fleet included:

• HMS Sirius - the flagship
• HMS Supply - armed storeship
• The Alexander - transport and the biggest ship
• The Borrowdale - storeship
• The Charlotte - transport
• The Fishburn - storeship
• The Friendship - transport
• Golden Grove - storeship
• Lady Penrhyn - transport
• Prince of Wales - transport
• Scarborough - transport

The First Fleet travelled from Portsmouth, to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. From there it continued on the Rio de Janeiro in South America, then across to South Africa. It then continued east to New South Wales.

Records about the number of people aboard the First Fkeet are not exact, as they do not reflect how many people actually arrived in Australia alive.

The First Fleet had at least 1,350 people. 780 of them were convicts, and 570 were freemen, women and children. This figure also included four companies of marines.

Answer 4

The First Fleet of convicts left Portsmouth, England, on 13 May 1787, and arrived in botany Bay on 18 January 1788. It was found 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.

Answer 5

The First Fleet to Australia was commanded by Captain Arthur Phillip who had been appointed Governor-designate of the proposed British penal colony of New South Wales.

There were 11 ships of the First Fleet, and they included:

• The leading ship, or flagship, the HMS Sirius
• HMS Supply, the supply ship
• The three supply ships which were the Borrowdale, the Fishburn and the Golden Grove
• Convict transport ships, which included The Alexander, The Charlotte, The Friendship, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales and Scarborough
• The First Fleet had at least 1,350 people. 780 of them were convicts, and 570 were freemen, women and children. This figure also included four companies of marines.

Some of the dimensions of the ships are:

• The Alexander - 452 tons, 114 ft long and 31 ft at the beam
• The Borrowdale - 375 tons, 75 ft long and 22 ft at the beam
• The Charlotte - 335 tons, 105 ft long and 28 ft at the beam
• The Friendship - 274 or 278 tons and 75 feet long
• H.M.S. Supply - 170 tons and 70 feet long
• The Scarborough - 430 tons
• The Prince of Wales - 31.4m long and weighed 350 tons
• H.M.S. Sirius - 540 tons
• Lady Penrhyn - 333 tons
• The Golder Grove - 375 tons
• The Fishburn - weighed 378 tons