Experiences on the voyage of the First Fleet

Explain how stories, images, objects and sites are used as sources of evidence for the first penal settlement in New South Wales

Overview

Historians use stories, images, objects and sites as sources of evidence to understand the first penal settlement in New South Wales in 1788. These sources help us learn about daily life, interactions between Aboriginal peoples and Europeans, and how the colony developed.

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1. Stories ~ Written and oral accounts

Stories include:

Diaries
Letters
Journals
Oral histories

Important First Fleet written sources include:

Arthur Phillip
Watkin Tench
Ralph Clark
David Collins

These stories describe:

Conditions on the ships
Early settlement struggles
Food shortages
Encounters with Aboriginal peoples

Aboriginal oral histories also provide evidence about:

Cultural disruption
Changes to land and food sources
Early interactions with Europeans

Stories help historians understand experiences and perspectives.

Letter from David Blackburn, April 6, 1787. Courtesy State Library of NSW.

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2. Images ~ Drawings, paintings, maps

Images provide visual evidence of:

The first settlement at Sydney Cove
Convict huts and tents
Clothing and tools
Landscape and environment

Important early artists include:

William Bradley
George Raper

Their drawings help historians understand:

How the settlement looked
How people lived
Early contact with Aboriginal peoples

Detail from Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, 1788 by William Bradley

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3. Objects ~ Artefacts

Objects found by archaeologists include:

Convict tools
Buttons and clothing
Clay pipes
Cooking utensils
Nails and building materials

These objects tell us:

What convicts used daily
Living conditions
What supplies were available
How buildings were constructed

Objects provide physical evidence of life in the early settlement.

The First Fleet arrives at Sydney Cove | Australia’s Defining Moments Digital Classroom | National Museum of Australia

4. Sites ~ Places of historical importance

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Important First Fleet sites include:

Sydney Cove
The Rocks
Parramatta

These sites provide evidence through:

Archaeological remains
Foundations of early buildings
Tools and artefacts found in the ground

Sites help historians understand:

Where people lived
How the colony expanded
Early settlement layout

The Rocks, Sydney, features historical architecture from the first fleet settlement over 200 years ago.

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Stories, images, objects and sites all provide important evidence about the first penal settlement in New South Wales. Diaries and oral histories describe experiences, images show what the settlement looked like, objects reveal daily life, and historical sites provide physical evidence of early buildings and activities. Together, these sources help historians understand how the first colony developed in 1788.