First Fleet

Quick Facts: Who was First Fleet?

Subject:

First Fleet

Known for:

The British fleet that established the penal colony of New South Wales in Australia.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the British (and European) colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessels, three storeships and six convict transports under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. On 13 May 1787, the ships, with over 1,400 convicts, marines, sailors, colonial officials, and free settlers onboard, left Portsmouth and travelled over 24,000 kilometres (15,000 mi; 13,000 nmi) and over 250 days before arriving in Botany Bay, New South Wales, on 18 January 1788. Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay, choosing instead Port Jackson to the north as the site for the new colony; the Fleet arrived there on 26 January 1788. The Fleet established the Colony of New South Wales as a penal colony; the first British settlement in Australia.

Career & Major Achievements

Lord Sandwich, together with the President of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent scientist who had accompanied Lieutenant James Cook on his 1770 voyage, advocated establishment of a British colony in Australia at Botany Bay. Banks accepted an offer of assistance from the American Loyalist James Matra in July 1783. Under Banks's guidance, Matra rapidly produced "A Proposal for Establishing a Settlement in New South Wales" (24 August 1783), with a fully developed set of reasons for a colony composed of American Loyalists, Chinese, and South Sea Islanders (but not convicts). The decision to establish a colony in Australia was made by Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney, Secretary of State for the British Home Office. This was taken for two reasons: the ending of transportation of criminals to North America following the American Revolution, as well as the need for a base in the Pacific to counter French expansion.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In September 1786, Captain Arthur Phillip was appointed Commodore of the fleet, which came to be known as the First Fleet, which was to transport the convicts and soldiers to establish a colony at Botany Bay. Upon arrival there, Phillip was to assume the powers of Captain General and Governor in Chief of the new colony. A subsidiary colony was to be founded on Norfolk Island, as recommended by Sir John Call and Sir George Young, to take advantage for naval purposes of that island's native flax (harakeke) and timber. The cost to Britain of outfitting and dispatching the Fleet was £84,000 (about £11 million or US$15.68 million in 2025). On 25 October 1786 the 10-gun HMS Sirius, lying in the dock at Deptford, was commissioned, and the command given to Phillip.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1770: 1770 Milestone — Lord Sandwich, together with the President of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent scientist who had accompanied Lieutenant James Cook on his 1770 voyage, advocated establishment of a British colony in Australia at Botany Bay.
2. 1783: 1783 Milestone — Banks accepted an offer of assistance from the American Loyalist James Matra in July 1783.
3. 1786: 1786 Milestone — In September 1786, Captain Arthur Phillip was appointed Commodore of the fleet, which came to be known as the First Fleet, which was to transport the convicts and soldiers to establish a colony at Botany Bay.
4. 1787: 1787 Milestone — On 13 May 1787, the ships, with over 1,400 convicts, marines, sailors, colonial officials, and free settlers onboard, left Portsmouth and travelled over 24,000 kilometres (15,000 mi; 13,000 nmi) and over 250 days before arriving in Botany Bay, New South Wales, on 18 January 1788.
5. 1788: 1788 Milestone — Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay, choosing instead Port Jackson to the north as the site for the new colony; the Fleet arrived there on 26 January 1788.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: First Fleet

True or False: “Did the First Fleet initially plan to establish the colony at Botany Bay, or was Port Jackson chosen immediately upon arrival?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Governor Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay and instead chose Port Jackson as the site for the new British settlement.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alphonsus Liguori — Historical peer (Died in 1787) (1787): Italian bishop, theologian, and founder of the Redemptorists.
• Carl Friedrich Abel — Historical peer (Died in 1787) (1787): German composer of the early Classical era, renowned for viola da gamba works.
• Arthur Schopenhauer — Historical peer (Born in 1788) (1788): Pioneering philosopher known for 'The World as Will and Representation' and philosophical pessimism.
• Augustin-Jean Fresnel — Historical peer (Born in 1788) (1788): Pioneering optical physicist known for the wave theory of light and the invention of the Fresnel lens.
• Adam Johann von Krusenstern — Historical peer (Born in 1770) (1770): Russian admiral and explorer, famed for leading the first Russian circumnavigation.
• Alexandre Brongniart — Historical peer (Born in 1770) (1770): Pioneering French scientist in chemistry, geology, and mineralogy.
• Adam František Kollár — Historical peer (Died in 1783) (1783): Pioneering Slovak jurist, historian, and coiner of the term ethnology.
• Agustín de Iturbide — Historical peer (Born in 1783) (1783): Mexican military officer and politician who became the first Emperor of Mexico.
• Bernardo de Gálvez — Historical peer (Died in 1786) (1786): Spanish military leader and colonial governor instrumental in securing Spanish territories.
• Carl Maria von Weber — Historical peer (Born in 1786) (1786): Pioneering German composer, central to the development of German Romantic opera.

Frequently Asked Questions about First Fleet