When did First Fleet land in Australia?
On May 13, 1787, the “First Fleet” of military leaders, sailors, and convicts set sail from Portsmouth, England, to found the first European colony in Australia, Botany Bay.
What was the weather like when the First Fleet arrived in Australia?
But when the First Fleet sailed into Sydney Cove, they unknowingly entered an ancient landscape with an unforgiving climate. During the final eight-week leg of the journey from Cape Town to Botany Bay, the ships had sailed into the westerly winds and tremendous swells of the Southern Ocean.
What happened when the First Fleet landed in Australia?
After a voyage of three months the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 24 January 1788. On 26 January two French frigates of the Lapérouse expedition sailed into Botany Bay as the British were relocating to Sydney Cove in Port Jackson. The isolation of the Aboriginal people in Australia had finished.
Was the First Fleet good or bad?
Extreme weather and wild storms had convicts aboard the First Fleet praying for their lives, according to ship logbooks and diaries. She said the First Fleet sailed from Portsmouth, England, in May 1787 with about 1400 convicts and they had a good run down the Atlantic Ocean. …
Why is the First Fleet significant to Australian history?
The First Fleet was the beginning of convict transportation to Australia and was followed by many other fleets of convict ships. When this ended in 1868, over 150,000 convicts had been transported to New South Wales and other Australian colonies.
What route did the British take to get to Australia?
The most common route to Australia from Britain and Europe was via the Suez Canal. Stopovers were at Port Said in Egypt, Port Aden in what is now Yemen, and then via the Arabian Sea to Colombo in Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon).
What was the first fleets route?
The First Fleet left Portsmouth, England on 13 May 1787. The entire journey took 252 days (a little over 8 months). From England, the fleet sailed to Australia making stops in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town. On 10 June they left to cross the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro.
Who led the first fleet?
Captain Arthur Phillip
The First Fleet On 13 May 1787 a fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. This historic convoy, which later became known as the First Fleet, carried over 1500 men, women and children to the other side of the globe.
Where did the first fleet sail from in 1788?
From England, the Fleet sailed southwest to Rio de Janeiro, then east to Cape Town and via the Great Southern Ocean to Botany Bay (Australia), over the period of 18-20 January 1788, taking 250 to 252 days from departure to final arrival. During the period 25-26 January 1788 the fleet moved from Botany Bay to present-day Sydney .
When did the First Fleet arrive in Australia?
The First Fleet is the name given to the group of eleven ships carryig convicts, the first to do so, that left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788.
When did the First Fleet arrive at Botany Bay?
The ships arrived at Botany Bay between 18 January and 20 January 1788: HMS Supply arrived on 18 January, Alexander, Scarborough and Friendship arrived on 19 January, and the remaining ships on 20 January.
When did the First Fleet arrive in Port Jackson?
The First Fleet arrives in Port Jackson, 27 January 1788, by William Bradley, an officer on HMS Sirius. An engraving of the First Fleet in Botany Bay at voyage’s end in 1788, from The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay.