(On Sydney Harbour)
...a River, that communicates with the Sea, at no great distance from Port Jackson, which I have preferd to Botany bay as affording a more eligible Situation for the Colony, & being with out exception the finest Harbour in the World. (Governor Philip)
On Philip's observations of the Aboriginal people:
It has been my determination from the time I landed, never to fire on the Natives, but in a case of absolute necessity, & I have been so fortunate as to have avoided it hitherto. I think they deserve a better Character than what they will receive from Monsr. La Perouse, who was under the disagreable necessity offiring on them. I think better of them from having been more with them. they do not in my opinion want personal Courage, they very readily place a confidence & are, I believe, strictly honest amongst themselves. Most of the Men wanting the Right front tooth in the Upper Jaw, & most of the Women wanting the first & second joints of the little finger of the left hand, are circumstances not observed in Capt. Cooks Voyage.
After the American War of Independence in 1776 the British government was no longer able to transport prisoners to the colonies in America. In an attempt to ease crowding in their overstretched prison system the government began converting old commercial and naval ships into floating prisons. These ships were known as hulks and were commissioned from unseaworthy vessels, with their steering apparatus removed. During the 18th century prison hulks could be seen moored along the River Thames, on Irish rivers and in colonial harbours such as Bermuda. Conditions on board were cramped and unhygienic, with prisoners forced to undertake manual labour on shore during the day. The pressure on the English prison system was only relieved after 1788 when convicts began to be transported to the Australia colonies, with prison hulks still being used up until the late 19th century. Australian National Maritime Museum
In Her Own Words
by
'In Her Own Words: The writings of Elizabeth Macquarie' is a beautifully presented volume containing the annotated letters and journal of Elizabeth Macquarie, wife of early colonial Australia's planning visionary, Lachlan Macquarie.The publication reveals for the first time the personal thoughts and writings of Elizabeth Macquarie - through transcriptions of the relevant manuscript holdings of the State Library of NSW, National Library of Australia, National Archives of Scotland, UK National Archives as well as items held in private collections. Each writing piece is annotated, giving unique insight into its content and context.In top-end style presentation, letters, annotations, archive photos, genealogical diagrams, related brief biographies and an introduction on faces of womanhood comprise the content. Walsh's themes drawn out from Elizabeth's writings - architect, confidante, designer, gardener and politician among them - reflect the view and role of women of the day.This publication is historically significant as until now, very little has been in print about Elizabeth Macquarie and her influence in the shaping of our nation. Rarely has the spotlight been turned on the lives of women of the early days of European settlement in Australia, and the importance of their opinions and attitudes explained
1788:The people of the first fleet
by
First Australians: the story of indigenous Australia
by