By Lauren Dwyer

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The First Fleet Between 1788 and 1850 the English sent over 162,000 convicts.

They were sent over to Australia in 806 ships. The first eleven ships are today known as the First Fleet. They contained the convicts and marines. That they are now acknowledged as the Founders of Australia. Before 1788, Australia was populated. Australia was populated about 300,000 Aboriginals. These people had inhabited the worlds oldest continent. These people inhabited the worlds oldest continent for more than 10,000 years. They had seen very few Europeans. Two events were to play an important part in changing their way of life forever. Captain James Cook discovered the east coast of New Holland. He discovered it in 1770 and named it New South Wales. He sailed the whole of the coast and reported it to the British Government. He thought it would make a good place for a settlement. Britain did not recognise the country as being inhabited. The natives did not activate the land and were therefore “uncivilized.”

That eleven ships are known as the First Fleet.

FIRST FLEET• In 1788 11 ships came to Australia and they were named the

First Fleet. The ships left England on the 13th May 1787 and after 8 months they arrived at Botany Bay in Australia on the 18th of January 1788.

SHIPS Between 1788 and 1850 the English Government sent over

162,000 convicts. They were sent over to Australia in 806 ships. The first 11 ships are today known as the First Fleet. They contained the convicts and marines. The convicts are the people who did bad things like many convicts were murderers and some stole bread and meat from butchers because they were so poor. The marines are the soldiers that served at sea.

AUSTRALIA• Australia was populated by about 300,000 Aboriginals. They had

seen very few Europeans. Australia was a great place to send the convicts because the explorers reported the British Government that no one lived there and it was an island surrounded by water. When the first fleet arrived on Australian land they found out that the Aboriginal people already lived there. The Aboriginal people were not happy that the people on first fleet had taken over their land so they hunted the white people with their weapons. The white people fought back with their guns and began to defeat the aboriginal people. The convicts and marines of the first fleet continued to live and work on the land that they claimed from the aboriginal people.

• CAPTAIN JAMES COOK• Captain James Cook discovered the east coast of New Holland. He

discovered it in 1770 and named it New South Wales. He sailed the whole of the coast and reported it to the British Government. The name of his ship was the Endeavour. Captain Cook joined the navy in 1755.

•  

  WHAT IT WAS LIKE ON THE SHIPS• At night on the ships the convicts were crammed into darkness and

they would lay in the dark and fall asleep, they would wake up in the morning. Convicts were made to clean the ship and do other dirty work. In calm weather on the ships convicts were allowed to exercise on the deck. In bad weather the hatches were battened down and everyone stayed inside.

• The ships were dirty and disease spread quickly. There was the smell of vomit, sewerage and salty water. There were rats and when they were caught they were thrown overboard. Many people died on the trip to Australia. Deceased people were thrown overboard as well.

 • The First Fleet involved 11 ships sailing to Australia because there

weren’t enough jails for the convicts in England. They came to Australia because England was far away from Australia and they thought it was quiet and that no one lived there. When they got there they found out that Aboriginals lived there. This was the beginning of our country as we know it today.

The First FleetCrewThe First Fleet arrived in AustraliaThe First Fleet kept stopping at places on the wayThe First Fleet is 11 shipsThe First Fleet went to Australia because the convicts did

the wrong thing example: stealing breadThe First Fleet travelled on the sea for about 7 to 8

monthsThe First Fleet had different names for each ships and

then the 11 ships got called the First FleetThe First Fleet had rough times on the seaThe First Fleet travelled during the night, day and

morning

12/6/1787

Dear Grandma,

We have the convicts on board. They are crammed into a dungeon. They are in a dungeon because we don’t want them sleeping in a room with us.

We are going to Australia because the convicts have done the wrong. Some of the things they have done was like steal bread and meat from the butchers.

We are going to be travelling during the morning, day and night. The sailors keep swapping around because Ken one of the sailors he sails the ship for about 5 days without getting tired.

By the way Grandma there are 10 other ships following us. They are following us because altogether there are 11 ships and they are called the First Fleet. My ship is called The Friendship.

From Lauren

17/6/1787

Hey Grandma,

We are on our 5th day on the sea. It is nearly night time and I have to go see the convicts. We have been to a few places to get fuel and food. We have had rough times on the sea. The rough times we have had on the seas was like nearly crashing into big rocks. Ken one of the sailors has swapped the driving with Andy one of the other sailors.

From Lauren

18/1/1788

Grandma,

We are now half and hour from arriving in Australia. We stopped at many more places along the way. Andy is tired but he has kept the ship moving. I have been checking on the convicts with some other marines. We have had to throw 13 convicts over board because they died. They died from starvation because they got really sick and then eventually died.

From Lauren

20/1/1788

We have now arrived in Australia. We have found out that there are no jails and it is a big island with kangaroos with Aboriginals were there.

We are going to be here for a bit more time. I am going to be seeing you at your home in 7 to 8 months time. Bye.

I love you.

From Lauren

• 12/6/1787• Dear Grandma, • We have the convicts on board. They are crammed into a

dungeon. They are in a dungeon because we don’t want them sleeping in a room with us.

• We are going to Australia because the convicts have done the wrong. Some of the things they have done were steal bread and meat from the butchers.

• We are going to be travelling during the morning, day and night. The sailors keep swapping around because Ken one of sailors he sails the ship for about 5 days without getting tired.

• By the way Grandma there are 10 other ships following us. They are following us because altogether there are 11 ships and they are called the First Fleet. My ship is called The Friendship.

• From Lauren•

 17/6/1787 Hey Grandma,We are on our 5th day on the sea. It is nearly night

time and I have to go see to the convicts. We have been to a few places to get fuel and food. We have had rough times on the sea. The rough times we have had on the seas was like nearly crashing into big rocks. Ken one of the sailors has swapped the driving with Andy one of the other sailors.

From Lauren

20/1/1788Grandma,We are now half an hour from arriving in

Australia. We stopped at many more places along the way. Andy is tired but he has kept the ship moving. I have been checking on the convicts with some other marines. We have had to throw 13 convicts over board because they died. They died from starvation because they got really sick and then eventually died.

 Date 18/1/1778We have now arrived in Australia. We have found

out that there are no jails and it is a big island with kangaroos and Aboriginals were there.

So we don’t have to look after them anymore which is good. We now get to rest all we want, thank goodness. I am going to be seeing you at your home in 7 to 8 months time. Bye.

I love you.From Lauren

11 shipsSet on the seaCaptain CookConvictsThe sailors have got knocked outThey are going to crash into a big rockThe convicts were already asleepA ship comes along and crashes into the shipsOne of the convicts on the ship wakes up and sees

that they aregoing to crash in a big rock so he goes to the front

and steers it away from the big rock.

Once in the middle of the sea there were 11 ships. The ships contained convicts and the crew. The 11 ships were called the First Fleet.

One day the First Fleet was sailing along the sea. The First Fleet was sending the convicts to Australia because they did the wrong things like taking bread from shops and taking meat from the butchers.

They were half way to Australia. They kept stopping at places like Portsmouth and Britain and some more places on the way because the crew had to fill the First Fleet. The convicts kept falling asleep on the First Fleet because they had to work on the ships like scrubbing the floors and convicts died because they died of starvation and they were thrown overboard. The convicts had to sleep in one room which was small. They kept warm because they were all crammed together. The convicts did not like the ship ride.

Suddenly 11 other ships came along and crashed into the 11 ships which is the First Fleet. The First Fleet was going to crash into big rocks. The crew were knocked out by the ships crashing into each other and they hit their heads really hard on the walls and banged into other people hard as well as the convicts. The ship was about 4 metres away from crashing into big rocks.

Suddenly a couple of convicts woke up from getting knocked out and saw The Friendship was going to crash. So they got up and quickly ran to the front of The Friendship. When they got there they had to move the crew out of the way. After they moved the crew out the way they had about 30 centimetres before they crashed. So they quickly steered The Friendship away from crashing into big rocks. After about 5 minutes the crew woke up and saw that convicts were steering the First Fleet. They thanked the convicts and then the convicts went back to their room and went to their room and waited to fall asleep.

After about an hour the First Fleet arrived at Australia. The crew announced to all the convicts about how some of the convicts steered the ship away from crashing into big rocks. They thanked them once again and they threw a mini party. They had coconuts and water. After about 20 minutes parting they took the convicts to the big jail and gave them coconuts and plenty of water each.

The End

Once in the middle of the sea there were 11 ships. The ships contained convicts and the crew. The 11 ships were called the First Fleet.

One day the First Fleet was sailing along the sea. The First Fleet was sending the convicts to Australia because they did the wrong things like taking bread from shops and taking meat from the butchers.

They were half way to Australia. They kept stopping at places like Portsmouth and Britain and some more places on the way because the crew had to fill the First Fleet. The convicts kept falling asleep on the First Fleet because they had to work on the ships like scrubbing the floors and convicts died because they died of starvation and they were thrown overboard. The convicts had to sleep in one room which was small. They kept warm because they were all crammed together. The convicts did not like the ship ride.

Suddenly 11 other ships came along and crashed into the 11 ships which is the First Fleet. The First Fleet was going to crash into big rocks. The crew were knocked out by the ships crashing into each other and they hit their heads really hard on the walls and banged into other people hard as well as the convicts. The ship was about 4 metres away from crashing into big rocks.

Suddenly a couple of convicts woke up from getting knocked out and saw The Friendship was going to crash. So they got up and quickly ran to the front of The Friendship. When they got there they had to move the crew out of the way. After they moved the crew out the way they had about 30 centimetres before they crashed. So they quickly steered The Friendship away from crashing into big rocks. After about 5 minutes the crew woke up and saw that convicts were steering the First Fleet. They thanked the convicts and then the convicts went back to their room and went to their room and waited to fall asleep.

After about an hour the First Fleet arrived at Australia. The crew announced to all the convicts about how some of the convicts steered the ship away from crashing into big rocks. They thanked them once again and they threw a mini party. They had coconuts and water. After about 20 minutes parting they took the convicts to the big jail and gave them coconuts and plenty of water each.

The End

The First Fleet.mm