Three weeks after the First Fleet got to Sydney, Governor Phillip sent King to Norfolk Island. His task was to set up a small penal colony that would make use of the timber and flax growing on the island. These would be of use to the British Navy. He arrived at the island on March 3, 1788. There was no safe place to land on the island and this made it a difficult place to have a settlement. King had a group of 23 people including 15 convicts. Over the next two years they began clearing land (removing trees) to grow crops and to raise cattle and other animals. King was made Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island. In March 1790, Phillip sent King back to England. He was to go back and tell the British government about the problems of the new settlements in Australia.