Book Summary 10–1788 The brutal history of the First Fleet (to come to Australia)

Michael Batko
Jul 28, 2017 · 3 min read

Key Insights

A lot of crime in the UK, — very common to steal

Journey overseas takes 9–12 months

Most common death — scurvy (lack of Vitamin C)

Sydney very unhospitable, bad land (apart from Bellevue and Paramatta)


1787

- Sirius starts voyage

7 years of exile for 160k convicts

11 boats, 1500 people

Privately run — goalers sold convicts to plantation owners

1 in 8 was living off crime in London — too many felons, overcrowded prisons and hulks

Botanic influence on choice of settlement

decision delayed for a long time hoping America comes back under British control

Arthur Phillip

Captain of first fleet

first governor of NSW

experienced farmer

Preparation for the voyage

- 1400 people (incl 750 convicts)

- 11 ships

- 9 months voyage

- convicts had to serve for 3 years upon arrival then become farmers

- a lot of fish hooks (and quite some tools)

- two jackets, one hat, three shirts, four stockings, three pairs of shoes, three trousers per convict

- allowed to take women from Pacific islands (without force)

- ships between 21–40 meters

- 3.5pints rum, 3kg bread, 2kg beef, 1kg pork / week

Convicts

- no care was give to the state of convicts and how much of their sentence they have served

- governor Phillipp wasn’t given list either so couldn’t figure out who did and who was lying

- avg age 27, youngest 9 years, 15 pregnant and gave birth

Portsmouth — departure

- took months to load ships

- left May 1787

- arrived January 1788

The Voyage

- almost small mutiny by convicts

- governor says to treat everyone well

- Tenerife 1 week as it took so long to put on fresh water

- all liquids (waste) drain to the bottom of boat resulting in super smell and toxic gases

- convicts locked at the bottom in darkness with bugs lice rats excrements

- poop deck but some just didn’t care

- 3 pints of water a day for 2 months (convicts 2 pints)

- bleeding to cure people, probably killed more than saved

- avg death 50% vitamin c lack (unknown then), 30% falling off, 10% fire shipwreck, 10% fighting

Leaving civilisation

England — Tenerife — Rio de Janeiro — Cape of Good Hope — Australia

Arrival

- aboriginals friendly and pointed to fresh water

- botany bay unliveable

- on the whole journey only 69 people died (the other fleets many more)

- chose port jackson instead and named Sydney Cove

- all ships anchored in AUSTRALIA DAY 26.01.1788

Struggle

- really big storms

- unknown bugs

- hard soil

- high temperature

- bad gumtree wood for houses

- fresh water and sheltered harbour

- torrential rain / floods — mud bath

- 18 months in first brick building governor’s house

- first brickworks Haymarket

- over first 2 years food rations for everyone at the end even officers

- huge stingrays

Friction in the settlement

- bad farming/ soil

- no food

- first observatory (observatory hill)

- convicts not even afraid of death and punishment

- only 25% of people helped, women useless

The fleet goes home

- tough journey + scurvy

Aboriginals

- hunters and gatherers

- friendly

- very crude structures

- avoided white men

- smallpox killed lots of Aboriginals

- white men kept stealing from them

- tried to have 2–3 aboriginals live with English kinda worked

- he lived in Bennelong point (his name was Bennelong) Opera House

Crisis

- food shortage

- poor soil and theft

- send one ship to cape of good hope for supplies (7 months)

- ran out of candles had to go to bed when dark

- english send full supply ship with food and skilled convicts, fruit trees — swam into iceberg

- tried to recover it for 10 days then abandoned by most (one one rowing ship survived)

- whoever stayed on board somehow stayed afloat for 2 months until a ship found them

- 20 skilled convicts and 5 overseers made it and were taken on second fleet

Waiting Game

- Serius sinks at Norfolk island

- Send hundreds to island which has better vegetation

- Cruel marine office becomes Governor on island

- second fleet arrives with food and convicts

Arrival of the second fleet

- 25% died on voyage

- hundreds in coming weeks

- first ship disappointment for 250 women convicts no provisions

- all convicts in terrible state

- owners paid per convict loaded not landed

- third fleet

- then guarantee that two fleets a year will come

Escape

- convicts tried to escape on leaving boats and bush, but it was pretty impossible

Departure of Phillip

- next up Melbourne/Hobart

- Paramatta best farming

- governers’ problem with disobedient military

- private farming most successful

1788 - The brutal truth of the first fleet.jpg
1788 - The brutal truth of the first fleet.jpg

MBReads

Goal: Read and summarise one book a week

Michael Batko

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MBReads

MBReads

Goal: Read and summarise one book a week

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