The First Fleet

Includes information about Captain Arthur Philip

The First Fleet of 11 ships left Portsmouth in 1787 with more than 1480 men, women and children onboard. Although most were British, there were also African, American and French convicts. After a voyage of three months the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 24 January 1788.

Arthur Phillip was born in Fulham, London, in 1738. His father was a German-born language teacher, Jacob Phillip. His mother, Elizabeth Breach, was English, and the widow of a navy captain. Phillip went to a school for poor boys at the Greenwich Hospital. At the age of 13 he joined the merchant navy. Phillip joined the Royal Navy at 15. He saw action during the Seven Years' War in the Mediterranean at the Battle of Minorca in 1756. In 1762 he was promoted to Lieutenant. When the war ended in 1763 he was put on half pay.

Who was Captain Arthur Philip?

What was Britain like in the 18 century?

The big majority of criminal cases during the 18th century  brought before local judges. Judges were themselves unpaid officials who were drawn from the ranks of the wealthy, and were expected to defend the English law as amateurs. As a result, many judges were easily corrupted. Though judges were extremely powerful men, many found their duties extremely burdensome and often dealt with their heavy caseloads with great reluctance.

Captain Arthur Phillips

Captain Arthur Phillip was a Royal Navy officer and the first Governor of New South Wales who founded the British penal colony that later became the city of Sydney, Australia.

After much experience at sea, Phillip sailed with the First fleet as Governor of the proposed British penal colony of New South Wales. In January 1788, he selected its location to be Port Jackson.

Interesting facts about the First Fleet

Captain Phillip had been told, by Sir Joseph Banks, that Botany Bay would be perfect for a new settlement. However, this was not the case as it did not have fresh water, the soil was of poor quality, the water was too shallow for the ships to get close to shore and there was nowhere to shelter. They needed to find somewhere more suitable.