How the arrival of the First Fleet impacted the Gadigal people
Explore the historical accounts
Discover how British officers, surgeons and other witnesses described the arrival of the First Fleet and its consequences for the Gadigal people.
Arthur Phillip — The Governor's perspective
Examine Phillip's official instructions and letters from 1788 to discover British intentions towards Aboriginal Peoples, his observations of their lives and customs, and the contradictions between establishing friendly relations and occupying Gadigal Country.
Watkin Tench — A marine officer's observations
Explore Tench's eyewitness accounts of the first years of British settlement, including the capture of Arabanoo and Bennelong, the devastating 1789 smallpox outbreak, and changing relationships with Aboriginal Peoples. Examine his descriptions of Barangaroo, Aboriginal resistance and cultural misunderstandings to investigate how British attitudes developed over time.
John White — A surgeon's journal, 1788
Explore First Fleet surgeon John White's eyewitness accounts of encounters with Aboriginal Peoples around Sydney Harbour and Broken Bay. Discover his descriptions of Aboriginal fishing skills, family life, cultural exchanges and responses to British weapons, and investigate how cooperation, curiosity, fear and conflict shaped early relationships.
George Bouchier Worgan — A surgeon's observations, 1788
Explore HMS Sirius surgeon George Bouchier Worgan's eyewitness accounts of the first months of British settlement. Discover his descriptions of Aboriginal fishing techniques, daily life, cultural exchanges and early encounters, including moments of friendship, misunderstanding and conflict. Investigate what his journal reveals about Aboriginal life and British attitudes in 1788.
Newton Fowell — A First Fleet officer's observations, 1788
Explore First Fleet officer Newton Fowell's accounts of early encounters with Aboriginal Peoples, including resistance to British landings, exchanges of gifts, disputes and growing tensions. Investigate his descriptions of Aboriginal life and customs, and what his letters reveal about British assumptions, misunderstandings and attitudes towards the original inhabitants.
David Collins — A colonial official's account, 1788–1796
Examine David Collins' accounts of the First Fleet's arrival, early encounters with Aboriginal Peoples, and the growing impact of British settlement. Explore his descriptions of disputes over land and resources, the 1789 smallpox outbreak, Bennelong's experiences and Aboriginal resistance, including conflict along the Hawkesbury River.
Henry Parkes — Looking back on colonisation, 1865Explore Henry Parkes' historical account of the First Fleet's arrival and the devastating consequences of British settlement for Aboriginal Peoples. Examine his descriptions of traditional territories, the loss of land and food sources, and the displacement of Aboriginal communities, while investigating how nineteenth-century colonial attitudes shaped his interpretation of Australia's history.
Comparing historical accounts — Different perspectives
Compare eyewitness accounts and later historical interpretations of the First Fleet's arrival and its impact on the Gadigal people. Investigate where accounts agree or differ, how the writers' experiences and attitudes shaped their descriptions, and whose perspectives are missing from the historical record.