Focus question: what was life like in England 250 years ago?
- Show students excerpts from the film Oliver Twist (2005 / Ronald Harwood, screenplay / Roman Polanski, director) to answer the question: What was life like in London at this time in history?
Discuss living conditions for the poor in London, as depicted in the film. Why might many people have resorted to crime? How did those in authority deal with misbehaviour?
- Discuss the value of this film as a 'historical source'. Ask students to suggest possible primary sources (drawings, letters, court records etc) that might provide more useful 'evidence' for further investigation of this topic.
- Students use the Chronology (PDF, 104 KB) exercise to sequence events leading to British settlement in Australia, exploring cause and effect.
- Use the events shown in the Chronology (PDF, 104 KB) exercise to create a classroom timeline.
- Can students identify relevant aspects of the film to answer the inquiry question?
- Can students explain a sequence of events based on likely cause and effect?
Life in England
Activity 2: Crime and punishment
Focus question: how were criminals punished in England in the 1700s and 1800s?
Focus question: how were criminals punished in England in the 1700s and 1800s?
- As a class, students examine the Case Study of John Walker.
Share responses.
What factors led to John Walker's crime of stealing onions?
How do you feel about what John Walker did?
What does the evidence tell you about the kind of person he was?
What might happen to John Walker if he committed this crime today? - In groups, students look at the list of convicts confined on the hulk, Censor: 1787-1788 . Ask: What interesting evidence do you see? What do you think about the ages of the convicts? What do you notice about their crimes? What questions are raised? How do we get answers or more information?
- Invite a solicitor or police officer from the school or local community to visit the classroom, to answer students' questions about the legal consequences of similar crimes in the present.
Ideas for extension
- Students explore more prisoner records at the Victorian Crime and Punishment website.
- Use a variety of search parameters to investigate records and draw conclusions.
- Model use of a table to record data to assist with analysis and making generalisations.
- How well do students frame open-ended, probing questions for a guest expert?
- Are students able to record relevant data and draw valid conclusions from it? (Extension)
Activity 3: A flood of prisoners
Focus question: how was the problem of England's overflowing prisons addressed?
Focus question: how was the problem of England's overflowing prisons addressed?
- Using Images of the prison hulks (PDF, 330 KB), ask students in groups to examine one or more images of prison hulks on the Thames. Then, ask them to use Probing the prison hulks (PDF, 164 KB) to record the results of their examination of these sources. Once finished, groups should report their findings to the class.
- Students explore the Port Cities web page Prison Hulks on the River Thames . Ask:
How does this information add to your understandings from the images?
Where might this information have come from? - Show students the handwritten record Report of Convicts under Sentence of Transportation. Record any information that students can gather from this source. What questions do students have about the source?
- Using the Six hat thinking (PDF, 142 KB) discussion guide, students explore and evaluate the sentence of 'transportation' as a solution to the prison situation.
In 1787 Lord Sydney (1733–1800) of the British Colonial Office in Great Britain gave instructions to Governor Arthur Phillip (1738–1814) to establish a penal colony on the Dutch-named land, New Holland. He was also ordered to open friendly communications with the local Indigenous peoples and encourage the convicts and marines to show them kindness. His instructions required giving protection to Indigenous people and punishing those who harmed them. There is no evidence of any acknowledgement of Indigenous peoples' ownership of the land.
At this time, the Indigenous population of Australia is estimated to have been approximately between 500,000 and 750,000 people. The size and distribution of populations are always an informed estimate. There were more than 250 distinct language groups across Australia, each group with their own land, language and culture.
The First Fleet left England on 13 May 1787, comprising a flotilla of ships with convicts and marines. There were nine ships and two naval vessels with enough supplies to keep the 759 convicts, their marine guards, some with families, and a few civil officers until the colony became self-sufficient. Since the War of American Independence (1775–83), Great Britain had wanted an alternative place to 'transport' its convicts. Captain James Cook (1728–79) had reported that the land was lush, well watered and fertile, suitable for growing all types of foods and providing grazing land for cattle.
At this time, the Indigenous population of Australia is estimated to have been approximately between 500,000 and 750,000 people. The size and distribution of populations are always an informed estimate. There were more than 250 distinct language groups across Australia, each group with their own land, language and culture.
The First Fleet left England on 13 May 1787, comprising a flotilla of ships with convicts and marines. There were nine ships and two naval vessels with enough supplies to keep the 759 convicts, their marine guards, some with families, and a few civil officers until the colony became self-sufficient. Since the War of American Independence (1775–83), Great Britain had wanted an alternative place to 'transport' its convicts. Captain James Cook (1728–79) had reported that the land was lush, well watered and fertile, suitable for growing all types of foods and providing grazing land for cattle.
Activity 4: Setting sail
Focus question: what preparations were made for the eight-month sea voyage?
- In groups, students use Preparations for the journey (PDF. 102 KB) to examine a primary source document, a letter regarding provision of the First Fleet. Model the deconstruction of unfamiliar language. For example, highlight significant phrases and transcribe them in more familiar terms. Circle unfamiliar words and use a dictionary to find their meaning. Ask:
What do we know about this source?
What does it tell us about the First Fleet?
What questions could we ask to find out more? - Using Packing the Provisions (PDF, 112 KB), students examine the list of the livestock and provisions carried on the First Fleet, found online at First Fleet Fellowship.
- Using Ships of the First Fleet (PDF, 111 KB), students explore information about the 11 ships at First Fleet Fellowship
Activity 5: The voyage
Focus question: what would it have been like to travel on one of the ships of the First Fleet?
- Using Reconstructing the voyage (PDF, 89 KB), students investigate how the First Fleet travelled to Australia from England and how long the journey took.
Marcus Clarke's classic novel about
convict life, For the Term of His Natural Life.
This copyright material may not be modified.
Front cover of For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke, Penguin Group (Australia), 2000 reproduced with permission of Penguin Group.
convict life, For the Term of His Natural Life.
This copyright material may not be modified.
Front cover of For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke, Penguin Group (Australia), 2000 reproduced with permission of Penguin Group.
- For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke is the story of a convict called Rufus Dawes who was sentenced to transportation for a murder that he did not commit.
You can read the whole book online at http://adc.library.usyd.edu.au/data-2/p00023.pdf.
The excerpt below provides a vivid description of convict quarters on board a transport ship.
Read the following extract in class.
Talk about what the voyage would have been like for convicts. How do you feel about the conditions on board?
How useful is a novel as a historical source?
CHAPTER V. THE BARRACOON
This copyright material may not be modified. Front cover of For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke, Penguin Group (Australia), 2000 reproduced with permission of Penguin Group.
IN the prison of the 'tween decks reigned a darkness pregnant with murmurs. The sentry at the entrance to the hatchway was supposed to “prevent the prisoners from making a noise,” but he put a very liberal interpretation upon the clause, and so long as the prisoners refrained from shouting, yelling, and fighting — eccentricities in which they sometimes indulged — he did not disturb them. This course of conduct was dictated by prudence, no less than by convenience, for one sentry was but little over so many; and the convicts, if pressed too hard, would raise a sort of bestial boo-hoo, in which all voices were confounded, and which, while it made noise enough and to spare, utterly precluded individual punishment. One could not flog a hundred and eighty men, and it was impossible to distinguish any particular offender. So, in virtue of this last appeal, convictism had established a tacit right to converse in whispers, and to move about inside its oaken cage. To one coming in from the upper air, the place would have seemed in pitchy darkness, but the convict eye, accustomed to the sinister twilight, was enabled to discern surrounding objects with tolerable distinctness. The prison was about fifty feet long and fifty feet wide, and ran the full height of the 'tween decks, viz., about five feet ten inches high. The barricade was loop-holed here and there, and the planks were in some places wide enough to admit a musket barrel. On the aft side, next the soldiers' berths, was a trap door, like the stokehole of a furnace. At first sight this appeared to be contrived for the humane purpose of ventilation, but a second glance dispelled this weak conclusion. The opening was just large enough to admit the muzzle of a small howitzer, secured on the deck below. In case of a mutiny, the soldiers could sweep the prison from end to end with grapeshot. Such fresh air as there was, filtered through the loopholes, and came, in somewhat larger quantity, through a wind-sail passed into the prison from the hatchway. But the wind-sail, being necessarily at one end only of the place, the air it brought was pretty well absorbed by the twenty or thirty lucky fellows near it, and the other hundred and fifty did not come so well off. The scuttles were open, certainly, but as the row of bunks had been built against them, the air they brought was the peculiar property of such men as occupied the berths into which they penetrated. These berths were twenty-eight in number, each containing six men. They ran in a double tier round three sides of the prison, twenty at each side, and eight affixed to that portion of the forward barricade opposite the door. Each berth was presumed to be five feet six inches square, but the necessities of stowage had deprived them of six inches, and even under that pressure twelve men were compelled to sleep on the deck. Pine did not exaggerate when he spoke of the custom of overcrowding convict ships; and as he was entitled to half a guinea for every man he delivered alive at Hobart Town, he had some reason to complain.
Students reconstruct the size of some First Fleet
passenger ships using information from Ships of the First Fleet. Students mark the ships' dimensions outdoors to visualise the scale. Ask:
How much space would have been available to
each person on board?
What do we need to know to work this out?
Students reflect on what this suggests about conditions
on board. - Using For the term of his natural life (PDF, 175 KB), students investigate a literary description of conditions on board a convict transport. (The language in the extract is demanding and this activity may need to be teacher-led or used as an extension activity.)
Convict Voyages
- Using Convict voyages (PDF, 132 KB) and Daily routine (PDF, 156 KB), students examine two more sources about conditions on board ship for transported convicts
Activity 6: The First Fleeters
Focus question: who were the people of the First Fleet?
Focus question: who were the people of the First Fleet?
- Students sketch 'a typical convict' of the First Fleet. Encourage students to explain their thinking as they share their sketches.
Students explore the First Fleet database. Ask students to perform 'Simple Searches' based on name or gender. Share any notable findings. Ask: What does this database tell us about the 'typical' convict of the First Fleet?
First Fleeters 1
Extract from http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00010.html of An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol.1 by David Collins esq, 1798.
The transports were of the following tonnage, and had on board the undermentioned number of convicts, and other persons, civil and military, viz
The Alexander, of 453 tons, had on board 192 male convicts; 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 29 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.
The Scarborough, of 418 tons, had on board 205 male convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 26 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.
The Charlotte, of 346 tons, had on board 89 male and 20 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 35 privates, with the principal surgeon of the colony.
The Lady Penrhyn, of 338 tons, had on board 101 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, and 3 privates, with a person acting as a surgeon's mate.
The Prince of Wales, of 334 tons, had on board 2 male and 50 female convicts; 2 lieutenants, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 24 privates, with the surveyor-general of the colony.
The Friendship, (snow,) of 228 tons, had on board 76 male and 21 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 36 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.
There were on board, beside these, 28 women, 8 male and 6 female children, belonging to the soldiers of the detachment, together with 6 male and 7 female children belonging to the convicts.
The Fishbourn store-ship was of 378 tons; the Borrowdale of 272 tons; and the Golden Grove of 331 tons. On board this last ship was embarked the chaplain of the colony, with his wife and a servant.
Not only these as store-ships, but the men of war and transports, were stored in every part with provisions, implements of agriculture, camp equipage, clothing for the convicts, baggage, etc.
On board of the Sirius were taken, as supernumeraries, the major commandant of the corps of marines embarked in the transports*, the adjutant and quarter-master, the judge-advocate of the settlement, and the commissary; with 1 sergeant, 3 drummers, 7 privates, 4 women, and a few artificers.
* This officer was also lieutenant-governor of the colony.
Full text available online: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00010.html - section1
Extract from http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00010.html of An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol.1 by David Collins esq, 1798.
The transports were of the following tonnage, and had on board the undermentioned number of convicts, and other persons, civil and military, viz
The Alexander, of 453 tons, had on board 192 male convicts; 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 29 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.
The Scarborough, of 418 tons, had on board 205 male convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 26 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.
The Charlotte, of 346 tons, had on board 89 male and 20 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 35 privates, with the principal surgeon of the colony.
The Lady Penrhyn, of 338 tons, had on board 101 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, and 3 privates, with a person acting as a surgeon's mate.
The Prince of Wales, of 334 tons, had on board 2 male and 50 female convicts; 2 lieutenants, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 24 privates, with the surveyor-general of the colony.
The Friendship, (snow,) of 228 tons, had on board 76 male and 21 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 36 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.
There were on board, beside these, 28 women, 8 male and 6 female children, belonging to the soldiers of the detachment, together with 6 male and 7 female children belonging to the convicts.
The Fishbourn store-ship was of 378 tons; the Borrowdale of 272 tons; and the Golden Grove of 331 tons. On board this last ship was embarked the chaplain of the colony, with his wife and a servant.
Not only these as store-ships, but the men of war and transports, were stored in every part with provisions, implements of agriculture, camp equipage, clothing for the convicts, baggage, etc.
On board of the Sirius were taken, as supernumeraries, the major commandant of the corps of marines embarked in the transports*, the adjutant and quarter-master, the judge-advocate of the settlement, and the commissary; with 1 sergeant, 3 drummers, 7 privates, 4 women, and a few artificers.
* This officer was also lieutenant-governor of the colony.
Full text available online: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00010.html - section1
'Who was the youngest First Fleet convict?' or 'How many First Fleet convicts were women?'
Excerpt from The Voyage Of Governor Phillip To Botany Bay, by Arthur Phillip, 1789, Chapter II
When the fleet was at length prepared for sailing, the complement of convicts and marines on board the transports was thus arranged. The Friendship carried a Captain and forty-four marines, subalterns and privates, with seventy-seven male and twenty female convicts. The Charlotte, a Captain and forty-three men, with eighty-eight male and twenty female convicts. In the Alexander, were two Lieutenants and thirty-five marines, with two hundred and thirteen convicts, all male. In the Scarborough, a Captain and thirty-three marines, with male convicts only, two hundred and eight in number. The Prince of Wales transport had two Lieutenants and thirty marines, with an hundred convicts, all female. And the Lady Penrhyn, a Captain, two Lieutenants, and only three privates, with one hundred and two female convicts. Ten marines, of different denominations, were also sent as supernumeraries on board the Sirius. The whole complement of marines, including officers, amounted to two hundred and twelve; besides which, twenty-eight women, wives of marines, carrying with them seventeen children, were permitted to accompany their husbands. The number of convicts was seven hundred and seventy-eight, of whom five hundred and fifty-eight were men. Two, however, on board the Alexander, received a full pardon before the departure of the fleet, and consequently remained in England.
Full text available online:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15100/15100- h/15100-h.htm
Full text available online:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15100/15100- h/15100-h.htm
After arriving at Botany Bay, the First Fleet deemed it to be unsuitable for settlement, so they moved north, arriving at Port Jackson. Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788, taking possession of the land through the concept of terra nullius, meaning 'land belonging to no-one'. Indigenous peoples' lores were not considered and they were left with no rights. Their rich, diverse and complex lifestyles were not understood or acknowledged. For this reason the date 26 January is also known as 'Invasion Day' or 'Survival Day'.
From the start, the colony was beset with problems. Very few convicts knew how to farm and the soil around Sydney Cove was poor. Everyone, from the convicts to Captain Phillip, was on rationed food. Contrary to Cook's reports, they found a hot, dry, infertile country unsuitable for the small farming necessary to make the settlement self-sufficient.
From the start, the colony was beset with problems. Very few convicts knew how to farm and the soil around Sydney Cove was poor. Everyone, from the convicts to Captain Phillip, was on rationed food. Contrary to Cook's reports, they found a hot, dry, infertile country unsuitable for the small farming necessary to make the settlement self-sufficient.