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James Cook claimed Australia for Britain
In 1770 James Cook, a British Explorer, sighted and mapped the eastern coastline of Australia. -
American Revolution Ends
After the American Revolution (aka the War of Independence), Britain was unable to send convicts to the colonies in America because they had become the United States of America and was independent from England. This meant that Britain had nowhere to put their convicts. -
Decision of convict settlement in Australia made
In August 1786, sixteen years after Captain cook sighted Australia, the british government decided to establish a convict settlement in New South Wales. The prisons in England were over-flowing and because they could o longer send the convicts to the colonies, they had no where to put them. It seemed a good way so start a settlement in Australia. -
First Fleet depart
The first fleet comprising of 11 ships and nearly 1500 men, children and women left at three o'clock in the morning of 13th of May 1787. Some of the officials on board were Captain Phillip, a judge, a surveyor and a chaplain. Altogether the number of crew was around 450. There was also around 200 marines on board, both to protect the fleet and also to control the convicts themselves, of which there was around 760. Some of the marines brought there families as well (there was around 27 on board) -
First Fleet arrives in Botany Bay
When the First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay, neither the surrounding land nor the harbour itself impressed them. they discovered that the harbour water was shallow and didnt really protect them against storms, the soil around them was sandy and there wasn't a decent and accessible fresh water source nearby. -
The new colony was proclaimed
The new penal colony, now located at Sydney Cove, was proclaimed. -
Second Fleet leaves England
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Second fleet arrived
Before the second fleet arrived the people living in the colony in New South Wales was struggling badly because although Port Jackson had obvious avantages, the soil turned out to be no better for farming than the soil in Botany Bay, meaning they were very low on food. When the second fleet arrived they had more supplies, however a lot of the people on board had died on the journey, and the rest were too unwell to work. -
Governor Phillip forced to return to England
Governor Phillp was forced to return to England due to bad health. However when he left the colony was secure and they had found land at Parramutta on the edge of their settlement that was suitable to grow crops on, meaning the colony looked like it would do well. -
Convict Rebellion
Two convicts, Phillip Cunningham and William Johnson got ogether about a thousand men and marched to Parramata and from there to Sydney. On 4/3/1804 the rebellion began when the convicts overpowered the small garrison that was guarding them. However both Sydney and Parramatta had been alerted, and marched out to meet them. The soldiers won easily and when the british force caught up to the unruly convicts, the convicts didnt resist. The entire event lasted only three days.
