The voyage

The first fleet of 11 ships departed from Portsmouth in May 1787, and endeavoured upon a 15.000 mile long voyage. After 8 months at sea the ships arrived in Botany Bay on January 18th 1788.  The convicts arriving on this fleet were in relatively good conditions; “only” 23 convicts lost their lives during this voyage...

The first fleet.

It was a different story for the convicts who travelled during the following voyages as the conditions here were horrendous. Convicts were held below deck and often restrained in chains and locked behind bars. The ships master, who often was a private merchandiser, was in it for his own gain and often looked for ways to improve his own profit, such as: holding back the prisoners rations, keeping them below deck and carrying out harsh punishment as an attempt to keep order.  It was cramped and filthy and convicts seldom got to come on deck for fresh air and exercise.  Diseases spread throughout the ship. Many never lived to see land and were buried at sea. Others barely alive once they sailed into New South Wales.

Complaints were made by the officials, but nothing seemed to be done about the conditions, nor the treatment of the prisoners. Not until the beginning of the 1800’s when the transportation system was reviewed; Ships were then dispatched only in May and September to avoid the dangerous winter seas. Surgeons, who had previously obeyed the ships master, were replaced with independent surgeons whose responsibility was solely the prisoners well-being. A bonus was also later handed out for landing the convicts healthy.

- Lise, NKI Nettstudent