First Fleet is the name given to the 11 ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts (192 women and 586 men), to establish the first European colony in Australia, in New South Wales.
The fleet was led by Captain (later Admiral) Arthur Phillip. The ships arrived at Botany Bay between 18 and 20 January 1788. HMS Supply arrived on 18 January, The Alexander, Scarborough and Friendship arrived on 19 January and the remaining ships on 20 January 1788.
During the voyage there were seven births, while 69 people either died, were discharged, or deserted (61 males and 8 females). As no complete crew musters have survived for the six transports and three storeships, there may have been as many as 110 more seamen.
Ropes, crockery, glass panes for the governor's windows, ready-cut wood, cooking equipment (including some complete cast-iron stoves), and a miscellany of weapons were needed. Other items included tools, agricultural implements, seeds, spirits, medical supplies, bandages, surgical instruments, handcuffs, leg irons and chains.
A prefabricated house for the governor was constructed and packed flat. 5,000 bricks for construction and thousands of nails were loaded. The party had to rely on only its provisions to survive until it could make use of local materials, assuming suitable supplies existed, and could grow its own food and raise livestock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fleet (More detail can be found on this site.)
The ships on the stamps are as follows:-
1 FRIENDSHIP. Brig. Transport. 278tn.
2 SCARBOROUGH. Full Rigged Ship. Transport. 418tn.
3 CHARLOTTE. Barque. Transport. 346tn.
4 PRINCE OF WALES. 3 Masted Ship. Square stern. Transport. 340tn.
5 ALEXANDER. Transport. merchant ship. 453tn.
6 LADY PENRHYN. Transport. 360tn.
7 FISHBURN. Storeship. 378tn.
8 GOLDEN GROVE. Storeship. 331tn.
9 HMS SUPPLY. Brig. 175tn. Tender to HMS SIRIUS.
10 HMS SIRIUS. Flagship. Frigate. 512tn.
11 BORROWDALE. Storeship. 272tn.
Information from Josephine Martin, the stamp artist. Obtained by K R Berry and published in Log Book July 1989.
Norfolk Island SG422,3.
First Fleet.
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