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Journals of the First Fleet

Arthur Bowes Smyth

William Bradley

David Collins

David Collins(1756 - 1810), was born on 3 March 1756 in London and he was Deputy-Judge advocate and Lieutenant-Governor.[1] He joined the Royal Marines at the age of 14. He served in the Siruis, one the ships in the first fleet. He was appointed to be the Judge-Advocate for the military and civil courts in the new colony of New South Wales.Once he arrived in Sydney, Collins worked as secretary to Governor Phillip. He was later appointed as a captain and as a secretary to Governor Phillip. [2]

From his arrival in Botany Bay with the First Fleet on 20 January 1788 onboard the Sirius[3] , Collins was responsible for the Colony's entire legal establishment. During his time on the Siruis and the colony, he kept a journal which also included his experiences in the settlement at Sydney. In 1797 he returned to London and the following year he published his journal entitled An Account of the English colony in New South Wales[4] . This is a very important and very detailed first hand account about early settlement in Australia. The book starts with a very long and comprehensive introduction, which highlights the long voyage of the first fleet and particularly the Sirius to Australia. The rest of the volume illustrates in fine specifics how life was in the early days of the new colony. Collins demonstrates his high level of writing by clearly describing the natives,vegetation,accidents,crimes,supplies and the weather amongst a few. It also includes some illustrations and plates[5]. It became such a success that he continued this account on another volume published in 1802[6] . In 1803 he was appointed as Lieutenant-Governor commissioned to form a new settlement in Van Diemen's Land now known as Tasmania, sailing on the H.M.S. Calcutta. Critical of the intended site at Risdon, Collins chose Sullivan Cove as a superior location and harbour for Hobart Town. He was later commissioned to establish the proposed new dependency in Van Diemen's Land and in 1804 he chose the site of Hobart as the base for a new settlement. He served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land until he died in 1810.

Ralph Clark

John Easty

John Easty was a private soldier in the marines. His date of birth and death are not known. Easty joined the marines no later than January 1794, and was appointed to Captain-Lieutenant Meredith's company on 4 November 1787.[7] He arrived with the First Fleet on the Scarborough,[8] the second largest vessel in the First Fleet.[9]

Easty was the lowest ranking author of the surviving journals of the the First Fleet.[10] He describes events on the voyage and in the colony in simple, irregular English. Incidents include accidents, crimes and punishments, and encounters with Aboriginal people. In March 1788 he received a flogging for bringing a female convict into the camp.[11] Some of the journal is hearsay or was written later.[12] Most of the events are reported in a matter of fact way, but Easty sometimes expresses his own strong opinions on matters such as the administration of the colony and religious beliefs. On 22 February 1790, he writes that he and a private in the 53rd Regiment, Thomas Brimage, signed and sealed their lasts wills and testaments to each other.[13]

Easty returned to England on the Atlantic in December 1792, with the last detachment of marines to leave Sydney;[14] Arthur Philip also returned home on this voyage.[15] Easty rejoined his division at Portsmouth in May 1793.[16] He left the marines and was employed by Waddington & Smith, grocers, in London in September 1794.[17] In 1796 he petitioned the Admiralty for compensation promised for short rations in New South Wales.[18]

A transcription of John Easty's journal was published in 1965.[19]

John Hunter

John Hunter (1737-1821), vice-Admiral and the second governor of New South Wales, was a Royal Navy officer who sailed with the First Fleet as a second captain on board of HMS Syrius[20].

Upon arriving to Port Jackson in January 1788, Hunter surveyed the harbour and the adjacent coast areas, and led the expedition to explore the Parramatta River. In October 1788 he was ordered to the Cape of Good Hope for supplies, returning back to New South Wales in May 1789 after circumnavigating the globe. Upon his return to the colony he resumed former duties as a magistrate and surveyor of Port Jackson's area.

On 11 September 1795 Hunter succeeded Arthur Phillip becoming the governor of New South Wales. He served in this capacity until 28 September 1800. Hunter was recalled by the Duke of Portland following accusations of improper conduct in the office made against him. He left for England having handed over the government to Philip Gidley King. Hunter's term as the governor was difficult, and he was often unjustly criticised as the administrator.

Upon his return to England Hunter continued to make naval career. In 1807 he was promoted to rear-admiral, and then in July 1810 to the rank of vice-Admiral. He died on 13 March 1821 in London.[21]

Philip Gidley King

Philip Gidley King (1758-1808)

was the second lieutenant on HMS Sirius and the leader of the first sub-colony on Norfolk Island, and later governor of New South Wales.

His journal entitled `Remarks & Journal kept on the Expedition to form a Colony ...', with additional information was written between 1786 - December 1790; and compiled in 1790. Annotated by another hand and entitled A narrative of the preparation and equipment of the First Fleet, the voyage to New South Wales in H.M.S. Sirius, events in N.S.W. and Norfolk Is., and the voyage to England in H.M.S. Supply.'[22]. It contains a vocabulary of the New Zealander's language[23] .

It was published with minor revision as an appendix to John Hunter's Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island (London: Printed for John Stockdale, 1793)

Here is the journal at SLNSW website.

and here are transcripts from the journal

Jacob Nagle

Arthur Phillip

James Scott

James Scott was a Sergeant of Marines on the First Fleet ship Prince of Wales He travelled with his wife, Jane, who gave birth to a daughter en route[24] . He returned to England in 1791 with his family, including a son, William, born in Sydney the previous year[25] . His account of the voyage and his time in the colony, entitled Remarks on a passage Botnay [i.e. Botany] bay 1787 has survived and covers the dates 13 May 1787 - 20 May 1792[26] . In his journal he records that he commanded the Quarter Guard, looked after pigs and poultry, and searched for a lost marine in the bush. He died in Portsmouth, England in 1796[27] . The diary was published in 1963 by the The trustees of The Public Library of New South Wales (in association with Angus and Robertson) as Remarks on a passage to Botany Bay, 1787-1792 : a First Fleet Journal[28] .

Watkin Tench

John White

John White (1756?-1832) served as the chief surgeon on the First Fleet and to the settlement at Port Jackson.[29] He had served on other ships in the Royal Navy, including as surgeon's mate on the H.M.S. Wasp[30] and surgeon on the Irresistible[30] before being recommended for the expedition to Botany Bay by Sir Andrew Snape Hamond.[31][30] His assistant surgeons on the First Fleet were Dennis Considen, Thomas Arndell and William Balmain.[31]

White's diary records details of how he ordered medical supplies, supervised the embarkation of the convicts and made visits during the voyage to the ships to check on the health of the convicts and crew. White was also a keen amateur naturalist and on arrival in Port Jackson he was particularly interested in the birds of the colony.[30] White sent the journal of his trip to Thomas Wilson, a friend in London, who published it in 1790.[32] The published edition included engravings drawn from the specimens White collected and appeared under the title Journal of a voyage to New South Wales : with sixty-five plates of non descript animals, birds, lizards, serpents, curious cones of trees and other natural productions .[30] [33]

White remained in the colony until December 1794, supervising the medical care of the convicts and crew arriving on the Second Fleet in 1790 and the Third Fleet in 1791.[30] The diary of Watkin Tench, another member of the colony, describes White adopting a young Aboriginal boy, named Nanbaree, who was orphaned by the smallpox epidemic at Port Jackson in 1789.[34]

George Worgan

References

  1. ^ "David Collins". Australian Biographical Dictionary. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  2. ^ "David Collins". Discover Collections. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  3. ^ "David Collins". Discover Collections. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  4. ^ "An Account of the English colony in New South Wales". David Collins. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  5. ^ "An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales". David Collins. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  6. ^ "An account of the English Colony in New South Wales". volume 2. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  7. ^ Richardson, G. D. "Easty, John (?–?)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  8. ^ "John Easty". Discover Collections. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Scarborough". Webster's Encyclopedia of Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  10. ^ "John Easty". Webster's Encyclopedia of Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  11. ^ Richardson, G. D. "Easty, John (?–?)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  12. ^ Richardson, G. D. "Easty, John (?–?)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  13. ^ Easty, John. "Collection 04: John Easty - Journal, 1786-1793". Manuscripts, oral history & pictures catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  14. ^ Richardson, G. D. "Easty, John (?–?)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  15. ^ "John Easty". Discover Collections. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  16. ^ Richardson, G. D. "Easty, John (?–?)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  17. ^ Richardson, G. D. "Easty, John (?–?)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  18. ^ Richardson, G. D. "Easty, John (?–?)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  19. ^ Easty, John (1965). Memorandum of the transactions of a voyage from England to Botany Bay, 1787-1793 : a First Fleet journal. Sydney: Trustees of the Public Library of New South Wales in association with Angus and Robertson.
  20. ^ "John Hunter (1737-1821)". Discover Collections. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  21. ^ J.J. Auchmuty. "Hunter, John (1737–1821)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  22. ^ "Record Detail notes". Manuscripts Oral History and Pictures. State Library of NSW.
  23. ^ "Philip Gidley King". Discovery Collections. State Library of NSW.
  24. ^ "James Scott". biography. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  25. ^ "Scott's journal". catalogue. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  26. ^ "Scott's journal". catalogue. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  27. ^ "James Scott". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  28. ^ "Trove". catalogue. national Library of Australia. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  29. ^ "White, John (1790). Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales.
  30. ^ a b c d e f Rienits, Rex. "White, John (1756–1832)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  31. ^ a b Frost, Alan; Frost, Alan, 1943- (2011), The First Fleet : the real story, Black Inc, ISBN 978-1-86395-529-4{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ "Published Accounts". Discover Collections. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  33. ^ "Journal of a voyage to New South Wales : with sixty-five plates of non descript animals, birds, lizards, serpents, curious cones of trees and other natural productions". Catalogue record. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  34. ^ Egan, Jack (1999), Buried alive : Sydney 1788-1792 : eyewitness accounts of the making of a nation, Allen & Unwin, ISBN 978-1-86508-138-0
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