the first fleet arrived in aus on 20 january 1788.
the first fleet arrived in aus on 20 january 1788.
when did the first fleet arrive in aus?
20 january 1788
macquarie place also retains evidence of the first defences of the colony taken from the warship of the first fleet. the salvaged anchor and canon of the "sirius" are still mounted in macquarie place. the "sirius" was the man-of-war flagship which escorted the first fleet to australia. the "sirius" sailed from england with the first fleet on 13 may 1787, arrived in botany bay on 20 january 1788, and anchored at sydney cove on 26 january 1788. the "sirius" was wrecked on the coast of norfolk island in 1790. the "sirius" cannon and anchor have been mounted at macquarie place for nearly a century or longer, according to different accounts. the iron cannon mounted at macquarie place was originally manufactured between 1767 and 1786 at the calcutts foundry in shropshire, england, based on its marking with the cast founder's mark of george matthews from this foundry, and the royal cipher of george iii whose reign was from 1760-1820. the cannon was landed from the "sirius" shortly after the foundation of the colony, either in 1788 or 1796 as part of one of two groups of cannons taken from the vessel, and was used on shore for defences and signalling the arrival of vessels to the isolated community.
macquarie place park
section::::history.:first contact.









































the first fleet encountered indigenous australians when they landed at botany bay. the cadigal people of the botany bay area witnessed the fleet arrive and six days later the two ships of french explorer la pérouse, the "astrolabe" and the "boussole", sailed into the bay. when the fleet moved to sydney cove seeking better conditions for establishing the colony, they encountered the eora people, including the bidjigal clan. a number of the first fleet journals record encounters with aboriginal people.
first fleet