How did the First Fleet get here?

How did the First Fleet get here?

Although most were British, there were also African, American and French convicts. After a voyage of three months the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 24 January 1788. On 26 January two French frigates of the Lapérouse expedition sailed into Botany Bay as the British were relocating to Sydney Cove in Port Jackson.

How did the First Fleet get to Australia?

First contact The First Fleet encountered Indigenous Australians when they landed at Botany Bay. The Cadigal people of the Botany Bay area witnessed the Fleet arrive and six days later the two ships of French explorer La Pérouse, the Astrolabe and the Boussole, sailed into the bay.

Why did the British sent the First Fleet to Australia?

The First Fleet as it became known, was formed of 11 ships that left from Portsmouth in southern England on 13th May 1787. This was an historic voyage across oceans to the other side of the world in order to establish the first European settlement, and penal colony, in Australia.

What happened on the 26th January 1788?

The date of 26 January 1788 marked the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia (then known as New Holland). On New Year’s Day 1901, the British colonies of Australia formed a federation, marking the birth of modern Australia. A national day of unity and celebration was looked for.

Why did the First Fleet go to Rio de Janeiro?

In 1763 it had been named the new capital of Brazil. In 1808 Portuguese royals fled to Rio to escape Napoleon and remained there at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815.

Why is the First Fleet significant to Australian history?

The First Fleet was the beginning of convict transportation to Australia and was followed by many other fleets of convict ships. When this ended in 1868, over 150,000 convicts had been transported to New South Wales and other Australian colonies.

Who led the First Fleet?

Captain Arthur Phillip
The First Fleet On 13 May 1787 a fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. This historic convoy, which later became known as the First Fleet, carried over 1500 men, women and children to the other side of the globe.

Why did Britain send convicts to America?

Not many people know that between 1718 and 1775 over 52,000 convicts were transported from the British Isles to America, mainly to Maryland and Virginia, to be sold as slaves to the highest bidder. According to the vicar of Wendover, transportation served the purpose of ‘draining the Nation of its offensive Rubbish’.

What date did Australia get invaded?

January 26, 1788, is the day Captain Arthur Phillip landed on Australian soil with the First Fleet of British ships. He raised the British flag at Sydney Cove to claim New South Wales as a British Colony. This day marks the beginning of a long and brutal colonisation of people and land.

Why is Australia Day on the 26th?

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Jackson in New South Wales.

Why did the First Fleet stop at Table Bay?

The first ship, Supply, reached Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. Aboriginal people from the Cadigal tribe saw the First Fleet ships arrive. Phillip soon decided that this site, picked by Sir Joseph Banks, was not suitable. It had poor soil, no safe place to leave the ships, and no drinking water.

What happened on the 26th of January 1788?

How 26th January 1788 became Australia Day. Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788 and raised the British flag for the first time in Sydney Cove.

What was the purpose of the First Fleet?

The First Fleet, consisting of 11 vessels, was the largest single contingent of ships to sail into the Pacific Ocean. Its purpose was to find a convict settlement on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay. The First Fleet sailed from England on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay eight months later, on 18 January 1788.

When was the First Fleet founded in Australia?

Cove Irish Facts – […] 21 Facts About the First Fleet | Lonetester HQ – The Founding of Australia, 26 January 1788, by Captain… The First Fleet – Vince Fehre Family – […] 6 convict ships, 2 naval ships and 3 supply ships left Portsmouth in England on 13 May 1787 and…

What countries did the first fleet sail from?

The people of the First Fleet were largely British, mostly from England but also from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Other convicts or crew came from elsewhere in Europe, including France, Germany, Portugal, and Norway, or from Africa or America. The First Fleet sailed from Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787.

What were the long-term effects of the First Fleet?

What were the long-term effects of the First Fleet? The First Fleet was the beginning of convict transportation to Australia and was followed by many other fleets of convict ships. When this ended in 1868, over 150,000 convicts had been transported to New South Wales and other Australian colonies.