Performed by Mr Cutts Class

About our play In terms 2 & 3 our class has been learning about Captain Cook, Ferdinand Magellan, Australian explorers and the First Fleet. Today we are going to act out a play about the First Fleet. We hope you enjoy it...

The Beginning In 1876, England’s jails were full and they had no space left for prisoners/convicts. Before America fought the War of Independence, England sent their convicts to America. After the War of Independence America was no longer linked to England, so the government decided to send their prisoners/convicts to the open land that Captain James Cook had discovered, Australia. Where they would start a new colony.

The ships The First Fleet was a group of 11 ships that carried convicts, sailors, free settlers, marines (soldiers) and equipment to the new colony. The First Fleet consisted of 2 naval ships, 6 convict ships and 3 store ships. Captain Arthur Phillip was captain of the First Fleet. He travelled on HMS Sirius.

What did they bring? As well as tools and equipment, there was a lot of livestock on board the ships. Most of the animals were brought to start farming in the new colony. 18 turkeys, 29 geese, 35 ducks, 122 fowls, 87 chicks, 4 mares, 2 stallions, 4 cows, 1 bull, 1 bull calf, 44 sheep, 19 goats, 32 hogs, 5 rabbits, 5 kittens, 5 puppies, 5 greyhounds. For food they took, 138 tonnes of beef, 69 tonnes of pork, litres of oatmeal, 241 tonnes of flour, 26 tonnes of cheese and litres of vinegar.

At the far end of the earth the convicts would need to start completely from scratch: building houses, clearing the land and growing their own food. They brought with them a massive amount of hardware. 700 spades, nails, 40 wheelbarrows, 175 claw hammers, 8000 fish hooks, 576 fishing lines, 5448 squares of glass, bricks, 330 iron pots, 5040 candles, 24 spinning wheels and 1 bible and 1 prayer book.

Portsmouth Docks 1787 This scene is set at the Portsmouth Docks, England, Sunday the 13 th May Captain Arthur Phillip (Billy) is telling his marines to load the convicts and supplies onto the ship (HMS Sirius) where they will spend the next 8 months.

The Journey to Australia.

The convicts quarters The convicts on board the ships had little food, cramped sleeping quarters and only one blanket, even in the middle of a stormy, cold winter. The convicts had to behave themselves and not fight otherwise they were severely punished with whippings and beatings.

Ships in a major storm In the middle of the First Fleets voyage to Australia they ran into rough seas and many wild storms. Everyone on board was freezing. Most people had only one blanket including the free settlers.

Rio De Janeiro The First Fleet stopped in Rio De Janeiro to conduct repairs to the ships and sails. They also traded cloth and other items for new fruits. The fruit the natives gave the officers were new and exotic to them, for example Guava, Mango, Banana and Pineapple.

The new colony When the First Fleet got to Australia they went to Botany Bay, but soon realised the fresh water supply and soil was not good enough to start a new colony. So they went a little north and landed in Port Jackson, where Captain Arthur Phillip planted the Union Jack and the marines fired a volley of shots into the air. They then had a toast to celebrate the new colony.

Thank you for watching, we hoped you enjoyed our play!