Who Were the First British Colonists in Australia? (The First Fleet, 1788)

The First Fleet (11 ships, ~1,400 people) arrived at Botany Bay 18–20 Jan 1788, then moved to Port Jackson (Sydney Cove) 26 Jan.

Composition

Convict Origins

• English (~70%) — London, Middlesex, home counties.
• Irish (~25%) — Dublin, Cork, rural; many political (Whiteboys, Defenders).
• Scottish / Welsh / Other (~5%).
• Diverse backgrounds: urban pickpockets, rural laborers, skilled artisans, a few "gentlemen convicts."

Voyage & Early Conditions

• 8-month voyage (Portsmouth → Tenerife → Rio → Cape Town → Botany Bay).
• 48 deaths en route (3.4%) — remarkably low for the era.
• Landing: no buildings, poor soil, scarce water; relied on ships' stores + local fish/kangaroo.
• Convict labor built roads, barracks, farms; rations equal for all (officers included).

Legacy

Many convicts earned tickets-of-leave, became landowners, founded dynasties. Their descendants number millions. 26 Jan = Australia Day (also Invasion Day / Survival Day for Indigenous Australians).