New Era Changes

The First Fleet was the beginning of a new nation called Australia. The changes made were enormous as they introduced a new world and brought Australia to life, if not for the first fleet, most of us would not be here today. The convicts aboard the First Fleet was the population offspring as they had been the populate-rs of Australia and had also brought us economy, workforce and new laws.

  

Snapshots

Flag Raising

Sydney Cove

Issues

The biggest problem for the first fleet was food. While the natives ate local plants and fish, the settlers found only some of the plants to be appetizing. The settlers appear to have been bad fishermen, most of their food had to come from the supplies brought with them on the ships. This resulted in their total dependence on a shipping trade by the East India Company and non-existent as far as Sydney was concerned. Rats, dogs, crows, an occasional kangaroo or emu were to be used to supplement the food needed in some cases. 

Shelter was also a huge problem as mentioned, the trees were far to big and the tools given to the fleet were to poor to cut down such massive trees as the tools would either get blunt or get damaged. The only way the first fleet could begin expanding was to wait for the second fleet for much better tools but the wait for the second fleet was far to long.

Clothing was also a problem as convicts and marines clothing items had been damaged over time. They were then only left with ragged and torn clothing covered in mud and grime. The only way the members of the first fleet were able to obtain clothing was to wait for the second fleet only problem was that the second fleet arrived at a very late period. 

Settlement

The First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay between 18 to 20 January 1788. This area was too unsuitable for settlement so they moved north arriving at Port Jackson on the Australian East coast on 26 January 1788 after deciding that Botany Bay was not suited for a Settlement due to the lack of fresh water.

From the start the settlement was beset with problems. Only a few convicts knew how to farm and the soil around Sydney Cove was dry and poor. Instead of  Captain Cook’s great stories of this place, well watered and fertile ground, suitable for growing all types of foods and providing lush grass for cows all the convicts found was hot, dry, infertile country unsuitable for the small farming needed to make the settlement self-sufficient.

Shelter was also a problem. They had little building material and the government had given only a very limited supply of tools, which were of a bad quality. With the local trees being huge, and the wood hard, these tools were soon broken or became blunt which made building slow. Clothing had been forgotten and, by the time the Second Fleet arrived, convicts and marines were dressed in patched and threadbare clothing.

Being Selected

Many of the Convicts were sent to Australia for odd crimes. For example, Irish Catholics were transported for looking suspicious, political outsiders were transported to trying to form unions or cults, suggesting politicians get paid and agreeing with the French for ideals of liberty, equality and companionship.    

Examples of deportment:  

• Canadian Rebels: In 1837, a group of Canadian rebels staged an uprising to achieve reform. 29 were executed and 149 were transported to Australia.

• Pickpockets: Often the pickpockets were well organised gangs that targeted social gatherings of the rich and famous. In a crowd, the pickpocket's victim would not feel a hand relieving them of their valuables. As soon as the item was stolen, it would be passed to an assistant (often an elegantly dressed lady) who would hurry to another part of town.

• Orphans: Convicts as young as 10 were transported to Australia. Such children had no parents, no homes and no schools so had to take up the life of crime to survive.

• Servants: In a house of nobles, if an item went missing or was misplaced, the servant was usually blamed. Servants were blamed even with lack of evidence. Other servants formed relationships with their masters and were accused of theft when the master wanted the relationship to end.

• Women: The Convict women were usually have been low-class women, verbal abusers and with loose morals, however, this was not always. Often women would commit crimes to be able to join their husbands in the colony. Punishments for women included an iron collar put round the neck or having her head shaved as a mark of disgrace. 
  
  

Cost

I believe an estimate to how much money was needed during the convict migration was very little as barely anyone was paid. Convicts that were set free wouldn't have been given a small amount of money as they were given land, housing and animals to start up a new life. I believe that back in the day, without currency, all people could do was trade. If something was wanted then an item of particular interest would be traded with another person. 

As written in "Australian Early Currency"

When Captain Arthur Phillip, Governor of the new settlement, arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788 with eleven ships and 1,487 people, including 759 convicts, the small colony was virtually penniless. Apart from 300 pounds in currency held by the Governor, the only coins available were those carried in the pockets and purses of the passengers. It was not forseen that the small colony would almost starve to death because of drought, poor soil and various other problems which made it impossible for the settlement to become self-sufficient.

Transport

The method of transport was obviously huge crew liner ships which were enabled to hold a huge amount of people, equipment and other items needed to start the uprising of Australia. As told in David Collins book, these were the boats which had arrived from 1787 - 1840;

• The Alexander, of 453 tons, had on board 192 male convicts; 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 29 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.

• The Scarborough, of 418 tons, had on board 205 male convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 26 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.

• The Charlotte, of 346 tons, had on board 89 male and 20 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 35 privates, with the principal surgeon of the colony.

• The Lady Penrhyn, of 338 tons, had on board 101 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, and 3 privates, with a person acting as a surgeon's mate.

• The Prince of Wales, of 334 tons, had on board 2 male and 50 female convicts; 2 lieutenants, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 24 privates, with the surveyor-general of the colony.

• The Friendship, (snow,) of 228 tons, had on board 76 male and 21 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 36 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.

• There were on board, beside these, 28 women, 8 male and 6 female children, belonging to the soldiers of the detachment, together with 6 male and 7 female children belonging to the convicts.

• The Fishbourn store-ship was of 378 tons; the Borrowdale of 272 tons; and the Golden Grove of 331 tons. On board this last ship was embarked the chaplain of the colony, with his wife and a servant.

• Not only these as store-ships, but the men of war and transports, were stored in every part with provisions, implements of agriculture, camp equipage, clothing for the convicts, baggage, etc.

This data was obtained by the census of 1788 by Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney.