The sailor who became our first Governor - Captain Arthur Phillip Part 1 - Background and beginning by Gregory Blaxell / Memorial to Captain Arthur Phillip RN near the Macquarie Street entrance to the Botanic Gardens, Sydney. The memorial was unveiled by Viscount Hampden, 19th Governor of NSW, on 22nd June 1897 to mark the 60th year of the reign of Queen Victoria.

A short time before his 13th birthday, Arthur Phillip was enrolled in the Greenwich school for the sons of seamen. Phillip had two years at that school followed by two years of apprenticeship at sea. This was in 1755 and the Seven Years’ War had already festered between the French and English in the Americas but the European conflict had not formerly begun.
Arthur was the second child of Jacob Phillip and Elizabeth (née Breach), the widow of Captain Herbert RN. He was born in Allhallows Ward, London on 11 October 1738. His father, Jacob, was a teacher of German and had come from Frankfurt.
After his apprenticeship, he transferred to the Royal Navy and saw action several times. He was promoted to Lieutenant (provisional) in July 1761 and this was confirmed in 1762 after a decisive victory involving the capture of Havana. With the coming of peace in April 1763, he was retired on half-pay.
Arthur Phillip married Margaret, the widow of a prosperous London merchant, on 19th July 1763 and the couple settled on a farming property at Lyndhurst in Hampshire – relatively close to Portsmouth. The marriage failed and Phillip and his wife separated in 1769. For a short time (November 1770-July 1771) he served on HMS Egmont but generally he remained on half-pay at Lyndhurst.
However, from 1774-1778 Phillip, with the permission of the British Navy, served as a captain in the Portuguese navy. Portugal and Spain were at war 1776-1777, fighting over borders in South America.
Captain Arthur Phillip RN. [Portrait to be found in William Dixson Gallery, copy Government Printing Office, State Library of NSW, Sydney]Arthur Phillip’s first wife, Margaret Charlot Phillip. [Portrait by George James to be found in the William Dixson Gallery, State Library of NSW, Sydney]In 1778, Phillip returned to the British navy and in November 1781 was made a post-captain and given command of the 24-gun, HMS Ariadne. In December 1782, he took command of the 64-gun HMS Europe. He took his friend Philip Gidley King (a future governor of NSW) with him. Although he sailed to India, his ship saw no action and he was again retired on half-pay on 25 May 1784 after the signing of peace treaties ending the American War of Independence. He spent a year in France (probably as a collector of intelligence on happenings in France) and then was engaged in survey work for the Admiralty. On 12 October 1786, he was appointed the first governor of New South Wales.
The colony was conceived as a place to send recalcitrant convicts after the loss of the American colonies. But in New South Wales, there would be no-one to buy the convicts so the State would be wholly responsible for their care and welfare. Phillip, once appointed, had a different idea. He had the vision of a new outpost of empire in the South Seas. Although he would start with the ‘dross’ of society, he believed that it would be possible to attract free settlers who would be separated from the convicts but all would be subject to British law.
From the time of his appointment until the departure of the First Fleet, Phillip constantly harassed the authorities with requests/demands as to what was required for the long sea voyage and the perceived needs for the functioning of the new colony. Although some of his demands were met, many were never acted upon. He showed himself concerned with both convict health and discipline and with the functioning of the new and isolated colony. He, more than any government official, showed great insight into the problems ahead.
The First Fleet left England on 13 May 1787 bound for Teneriffe. Although the preparations were scarcely adequate and although the ships were in mediocre to bad condition, Phillip at last had his fleet at sea. Sea conditions were rough and most of the human cargo was seasick. The voyage lasted 25 days and, on their arrival, they were warmly greeted by the Governor. Then on to Rio de Janeiro which was welcoming and generous. The next leg, crossing the Atlantic again, brought them to the Cape and the Dutch administration that was less welcoming and more mercenary. However, the fleet eventually took on provisions for the long and hazardous journey to New South Wales.
Phillip transferred from Sirius to Supply and, with three of the fastest transports, Alexander, Scarborough, Friendship, sailed ahead in the hope of arriving at Botany Bay earlier than the rest in order to prepare for their arrival. Captain Hunter remained with the Sirius and in command of the remainder of the fleet.    The so-called flying squadron arrived at Botany Bay on 18 January and the rest on 20 January at ‘ten minutes to eight … [in the] morning’.
The proclamation of New South Wales, 7 February 1788. [Painting 1938 from copy Government Printing Office, State Library of NSW, Sydney]When all the ships of the First Fleet were assembled in Botany Bay, there was general relief. In fact the voyage was remarkable in that only one out of 212 marines and 24 of the 775 convicts had died during the voyage. In total, 1,030 persons ultimately went ashore at Sydney Cove.
But Botany Bay was unsatisfactory. It was shallow and a prodigious swell occurred when a sou’easter was blowing. The shore was marshy and there was a scarcity of fresh water. Phillip decided to try Port Jackson or even Broken Bay.
On the morning of 21 January, Phillip set out in three open boats armed by Marines. He returned on 23 January with the good news that Port Jackson was an excellent harbour and a far better place for a settlement. He ordered that the fleet prepare to sail.
On 24 January, two ships were sighted off Botany Bay. They were the French ships Boussole and Astrolabe under the command of La Perouse (see story p54). Because of unfavourable weather conditions, they did not attempt to enter and went off to sea.
Phillip left in Supply with a contingent of workers to prepare a site in Port Jackson. When the rest of the fleet were about to move, the French ships were sighted again and were given assistance to enter the bay. After the exchange of pleasantries, the French were left there while the fleet, under Hunter, sailed to Sydney Cove, the site chosen by Phillip.
Phillip wasted no time unloading male convicts to do the work of clearing and preparing temporary accommodation. Females were not disembarked until 6 February and on that night, “scenes of debauchery and riot … ensued”.
Re-enactment of Phillip’s landing in Farm Cove for the 150th Anniversary, 1938. [Hood Collection, State Library of NSW, Sydney]On 7 February, Phillip inaugurated the State. And on 8 February, a party of officers visited the French in Botany Bay and were well entertained. On 14 February, King set off in Supply to start a colony on Norfolk Island.
It was on 27 February that the first execution was carried out in New South Wales. Thomas Barratt, a young convict, was found guilty of stealing stores and hanged.
On 10 March, La Perouse sailed from Botany Bay.
Imagine you were Governor Phillip and you had just successfully brought a fleet of ships with the first contingent of convicts to New South Wales. You landed 1,030 persons at Sydney Cove of which 736 were convicts (548 males and 188 females) and a contingent of 230 marines and civil officers, 27 of whom had wives and 37 children (294 persons).
Model of HMS Sirius. [Reconstruction by Capt F.J. Baydon RNR found at M. Bernard Eldershaw, Phillip of Australia, Sydney, Harrup, 1938, p.48]Very soon you found the soil very unproductive and, of course, the seasons were upside-down. When trees were felled, the timber was of little use for building or even repairing ships. Its best use was as firewood.
You had instructions that you were the sole representative of the Crown in an area roughly covering half of a continent plus adjacent Pacific islands. You had complete authority in the new colony and were only responsible to your superiors in London who were nearly nine months away.
La Perouse monument, La Perouse, Sydney.You found that the Marines who accompanied the First Fleet refused to help in supervising the convicts. This meant that you had to appoint the better-behaved convicts as overseers. This negative position was taken by the Marine’s commanding officer, Major Robert Ross. This was in spite Major Ross having been appointed as Lt-Governor and a Vice-Admiral Court judge. The Marine officers objected to having to sit on the Criminal Court. Ross and the Governor were often at cross-purposes.
Memorial to Governor Phillip, located on the left wall beneath the Australian flag, Abbey Church of St Peter and St Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey in Somerset, England.The convicts, like all the inhabitants of Sydney, were still on ship’s rations, supplemented where possible with fishing and shooting the elusive kangaroos. They were not inclined to work in this very hostile environment and often ‘lost’ the tools they were using. There was inadequate shelter for all.
And on 5 May, Scarborough, Charlotte and Lady Penrhyn left for China and the cattle bought from the Cape all strayed. On 14 July, Alexander, Prince of Wales, Friendship and Borrowdale sailed for the UK. Only two transports remained with Sirius and there is no sign of any Second Fleet.
If you were Governor Phillip, how would you have felt?

* Gregory Blaxell is an historian and author. A new edition of his book The River: Sydney Cove to Parramatta is now available. Trade orders can be made through the publishers, Halstead Press.