British Colonisation Quiz - First Fleet - Australia

Arthur Phillip set out north to locate a new site. He found the entrance to Port Jackson and, at its head, Sydney Cove, with a fresh running stream and a natural harbour, well protected from the winds.

The First Fleet consisted of 11 ships. There were two king's ships, HMS Sirius and HMS Supply. Both were armed with cannons. Six vessels served as convict transports. They were the Alexander, the Friendship, the Lady Penrhyn, the Charlotte, the Scarborough, and the Prince of Wales. Three storeships—the Borrowdale, the Fishburn, and the Golden Grove—completed the fleet. The flagship—that is, the ship Phillip sailed on—was the Sirius. It was the largest vessel in the fleet.

The First Fleet was placed under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, a naval officer.

Arrangements to move the fleet to Sydney Cove were completed by January 26, 1788.

Botany Bay was soon found to be unsuitable for settlement, despite the good reports made by Sir Joseph Banks that had influenced the selection of the site as the new penal colony. Fresh water was in short supply in the bay. The bay itself was unprotected against winds, creating a hazard for shipping. The quality of the soil, vital for the growth of the first crops, was poor.

The voyage took a total of 252 days: 184 days at sea and 68 days in the ports of call.

Approximately 750 convicts. Six children were born to convict women during the voyage, and four of them survived.

The fleet left the Spithead, in England, on May 13, 1787.

From the Canary Islands, the fleet sailed towards the Cape Verde Islands but bad weather forced Arthur Phillip to continue on to Rio de Janeiro.

On June 3, the fleet arrived at Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, where it stayed for a week.