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Arrival
On 18 January 1788 the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay, which Joseph Banks had declared suitable for a penal colony after he returned from a journey there in 1770. -
Port Jackson
The fleet then relocated to Port Jackson on 21 January 1788. This occasion marks the first landing of members of the First Fleet within Port Jackson, and the first known European landing in Sydney Harbour. -
Australia day
After moving further into the harbour, on 26 January 1788 Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove6. 751 convicts and their children left, along with 252 marines and their families. This marks the day we now celebrate and call Australia day. -
Keep em' coming boys
Another fleet arrived in 1790. (default date) -
Another fleet..
Yet another fleet arrived in 1791. (default date) -
Convict labour
Governor Philip (1788-1792) founded a system of labour in which people, whatever their crime, were employed according to their skills - as brick makers, carpenters, nurses, servants, cattlemen, shepherds and farmers. (default date) -
First free settlers arrive
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A trip around Australia
The early convicts were all sent to the colony, but by the mid-1800s they were also being sent directly to destinations such as Norfolk Island, Van Diemen's Land, Port Macquarie and Moreton Bay. (default date) -
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Ticket of leave
Govenor George First issued tickets of leave to any convicts who seemed able to support themselves in order to save on providing food from the government store. (Default date) -
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Transportation to Tasmania
In the 50 years of transportation to Tasmania there were around 75,000 convicts transported. Thats nearly half of the total population of convicts that were sentence to imprisment in Australia. -
How our resources came about
From 1810, convicts were seen as a source of labour to advance and develop the British colony. Convict labour was used to develop the public facilities of the colonies - roads, causeways, bridges, courthouses and hospitals. Convicts also worked for free settlers and small land holders. (default date) -
Van Diemen's land
The colony of Van Diemen's land was estabilished in its own right in 1825. (default date) -
Women as convicts
Twenty per cent of these first convicts were women. Many free women seeking employment, were sent to the 'female factories' as unassigned women. The Parramatta Factory grew as an enclave for pregnant women and also served as an orphanage from the 1830s. (default date) -
New South Wales says no.
Transportation to the colony of New South Wales was offically abolished on October the 1st 1850. -
Last shipment
When the last shipment of convicts left in Western Australia in 1868, the total number of transported convicts stood at around approximately 162,000 men and women. They were transported here on 806 ships. 806 ships! imagine how long it would of took if the first fleet of ships took 8 months. (default date) -
Australia's last convict ship
On January 9, 1868, Australia's last convict ship arrived with 269 convicts.