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The Supply at anchor, Botany Bay 20 January 1788

The Supply at anchor, Botany Bay 20 January 1788

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From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a2060001 / DG V1A / 8 (detail)]

(Dixson Galleries)

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The colonial observations of Surgeon John White

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Ships

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Botany Bay

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First Fleet HMS Supply

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Gore, Charles

State Library of New South Wales

The colonial observations of Surgeon John White

Surgeon John White, an officer of the First Fleet, was responsible for the health of the infant penal colony. His journal, and those of his contemporaries, reveals that food shortages were a serious problem for colonial officials, convicts and Aboriginal people. While there was some early collaboration between Aboriginal people and colonists regarding food, tensions escalated into violent incidents and an unknown number of fatalities. White, however, offered care to all the residents of Port Jackson, including Nanbaree, who White took to England.

Ships

Botany Bay

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Large bay south of the city of Sydney, into which the Cooks and Georges rivers run.

HMS Supply

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The oldest and smallest First Fleet ship. Built in 1759 as an armed trader of 175 tons it became the only link with the outside world after the loss of the HMS Sirius in 1790.

First Fleet

Fleet of eleven ships which left England in 1787 to found a penal colony in Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy Vessels, three store ships and six convict transports which carried over 1000 convicts, marines and seamen to the colony.

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