The First Fleet
In 1788, British ships arrived in Australia. This marked the beginning of major change for Aboriginal peoples and for the new settlers. Different groups experienced these events in very different ways.
⭐ Try a FREE First Fleet Mini Lesson
The first British governor of New South Wales. He led the First Fleet and was responsible for setting up the new colony at Sydney Cove.
A surgeon with the First Fleet who recorded early life in the colony. His writings help us understand what daily life was like in early Sydney.
A convict who became one of the colony’s first successful farmers. He helped show how food could be grown to support the new settlement.
Children like Mary Wade grew up during early settlement in Australia.They learned to live in a new and unfamiliar place and helped their families in daily life.
Want ready-to-use lessons for this topic?
Looking for a complete, ready-to-use classroom sequence?
The First Fleet Teaching Pack supports teachers with carefully structured lesson plans, engaging student activities, discussion prompts, and printable resources — all aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
✔ 20+ ready-to-use lesson pages
✔ Student activities & discussion prompts
✔ Printable PDFs (A4)
✔ Curriculum aligned
Download a ready-to-use classroom sample lesson from this topic.