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The First Fleet
The First Fleet consisted of 11 ships packed with thousands of convicts and crew. They travelled from England to Botany Bay, Australia within three months to start a colony. -
Smallpox Epidemic
Lasting from April until May, the outbreak of smallpox not only affected the British, but wiped out many Aboriginal clans around the area of infection. -
First Free Settlers
Australia’s growing colony didn’t just home convict criminals, because in 1793, the first free settlers ready to make a new life in a new country arrived. -
Castle Hill Rebellion
The Castle Hill Rebellion was Australia’s first known uprising, carried out by a group of Irish convicts who wanted to overthrow Australia being ruled by the British. The rebellion was unsuccessful. -
Rum Rebellion
The Rum Rebellion was caused by the New South Wales Corps officers and men. They marched in protest to Government House as a hostile act towards the current governor, William Bligh. He was overthrown and the military was in power for two years until Lachlan Macquarie’s governing period. -
First Australian Bank
In 1817, Australia’s first bank opened. It was known as the ‘Bank of New South Wales,’ but is now referred to as Westpac. Because NSW was a penal settlement, it was intended to be economically self-sufficient, but as the colony grew, it was realised that national and international trading was needed to maintain the economy. -
Myall Creek Massacre
The Myall Creek massacre was one of too many massacres of Aboriginal people. However, there were some consequences to British people that took things too far. -
Depression
The 1840s depression was an economical crisis in the growing Australian colony. There were many financial failures, although the country did eventually recover. -
End of Convict Transportation
No more convicts for Australia in 1840 - the transportation was ended for once and for all. Approximately 150,000 convicts had been shipped to Australia from 1788-1840.
