Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

First fleet storeship Borrowdale c1786

This painting from the collections of the Australian National Maritime Museum is believed to be the only detailed image of the Borrowdale, the storeship of the First Fleet to Australia in 1788. It shows the vessel from three different perspectives - side, bow and stern. Paintings often depicted vessels from multiple sides to allow an accurate representation of the ship, during a time when technical drawings were rare. This painting has great detail showing figures standing on the deck, a naval pennant flying from the main mast and a red ensign from the stern.

Contributed By [ANMM Collection 00009033]