FIRST FLEET

Year 5 students studied the Early Discovery of Australia prior to the introduction of the project. A comprehensive study was done on who, where and when the early discoveries were made and also a comprehensive background on Captain James Cook.

Overview 

As an introduction to Settlement of Australia the children will research the ships of the First Fleet plus research and record information on the convicts aboard the First Fleet.

Activities:

1. Choose 4 ships of the First Fleet and record information.

2. Using ClarisWorks First Fleet Data Base to record information

3. On convicts from First Fleet complete a comprehensive report on the convicts.

i.e. age, sex, crimes committed,trade prior to conviction and transportation.


PEOPLE OF THE FIRST FLEET

On the 13th May 1787 the First Fleet of 11 ships set sail from Plymouth, England, for the shores of Botany Bay.

  • On board the ships there were believed to have been:

    568 men

    191 women

    13 children

    all of whom were transported as convicts

  • To guard the prisoners, sail the ships and run the new colony there were:

    247 Royal Marines (soldiers)

    233 merchant seaman

    20 civil officers (lawyers, administrators, clergymen, doctors).

    27 wives and 19 children.

HMS Charlotte

The crimes and ages of the convicts were many and varied.

NAMES
AGE
OFFENSE
SENTENCE

Mary Adams

29

Stealing clothes and saucepans

7 years

Elizabeth Beckford

70

Stealing cheese

7 years

Mary Branham

23

Stealing silk handkerchiefs

7 years

Thomas Bryant

18

Highway Robbery

Death*

Richard Collier

19

Armed Robbery of clothes

7 years

Elizabeth Dalton

21

Stealing linen handkerchiefs

7 years

Thomas Eccles

43

Stealing bacon and bread

Death+

William Farley

17

Stealing sugar from warehouse

7 years

Margaret Fownes

45

Assault and theft of linen

Death*

James Grace

18

Stealing silk clothes

7 years

Mary Greenwood

24

Highway robbery

Death*

William Hares

24

Highway robbery

Death*

Thomas Hill

28

Shoplifting

7 years

John Jeffries

24

Stealing a silver watch

7 years

John Hudson

9

Stealing pistol and clothes

7 years

Elizabeth Haywood

13

Stealing dress and bonnet

7 years

Elizabeth Leonard

33

Highway robbery

Death*

John Mansfield

16

Stealing pigs

7 years

Thomas McLean

15

Armed robbery

Death*

Phebe Norton

26

Stealing spoons and linen

7 years

John Owen

14

Stealing table knives and forks

7 years

Sarah Partridge

22

Stealing rows of silk

Death*

Thomas Pritchard

26

Stealing lead from a building

7 years

Anne Read

22

Highway robbery

Death+

Daniel Rogers

32

Stealing silk clothes

7 years

James Ruse

28

Stealing silver watches

Death*

Thomas Stretch

33

Stealing plough and harrow tines

Death*

Moses Tucker 35

35

Obtaining money by false means

7 years

Edward Varndell

28

Stealing two horses

Death*

Mary Watkins

19

Armed robbery of clothes

7 years

James Wright

21

Highway robbery

Death*


*Death sentence commuted to 7 years transportation

+Death sentence commuted to life imprisonment.


Resources

Word processing program

eg Student Writing Center

Data Base

eg. Claris Works First Fleet Data Base

Internet 

URL1: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~firstff/ships.htm

URL2: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~firstff/

HMS Golden Grove


Presentation

Children will decide on their form of presentation. Discussions held prior to project as to various forms of presentation. 

Learning Outcomes

This study will encompass Learning Outcomes in:


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