Our First Contacts Australian History Unit
In Term 2, we had to take on the persona of a First Fleet convict. We reseached what life was like back then and wrote an historical narrative based on their life and experience coming to Australia as part of the First Fleet. Read one of my journal entries below.
I’m a convict
May
25th 1784
“Please it just be a little thing!”
“NO! You ain’t be stealing anything on my watch. I won’t allow it you’ll get caught by the Bow Street Runners!”
She don’t know nothing I won’t get caught I can’t get caught! She being a brat I tell you brat!
I thought to myself. That night I ran out of the ‘ouse I took all me anger out from what my wife said on this little lady, then I jumped a fence and took linen that was probably worth bout, 20 shillings all a sudden I heard
“STOP THIEF!!!!!”
DAM IT I OTTA GO!! I thought, but before I knew it they out ran me trapping me in a corner. The next day I was in court! “John Anderson Age 24 Crime Assault and stealing linen worth 20 shillings punishment TRANSPORTATION! “Oh no.”
Signed J.A
May
26th 1784
“TO THE HULKS WITH YOU!!!” yelled one guard. “What’s transportation?” No body answered. That made me even more nervous
that no body even knew where we were going
Maybe transportation is when you get hanged in a different place. I didn’t know what it was
but either way I was nervous. When I got to the hulks they put shackles on me ankles, wrists, and neck they scraped my skin away and it was rather painful over the time of an hour it started to stink of privy I had to leave me mate and me family behind it was hard
“LIGHS OUT!!”screeched a guard with a croaky throat.
Signed J.A
May
12th 1787
Today we started to board the ship I was on the Scarborough we could see
all the ships the Charlotte and the Friendship. There’s no friendship on that ship seams like there’s a match ever day and night they never at peace.
May
13th 1787
The hatch closed by the first hour me neck was already throbbing in pain
wish down under would be just a little bit taller the rashens were only limited there be only bout 12 little boy
Oh well. Smelt like raw human faeces couldn’t see nothing pitch black all me ears could hear was screams of terror.
We made a stop at Cape Town we just picked up some fresh food and water than we left.
Singed J.A
January
14 1788
Today we sailed the mini boats to Botany Bay when we got there
we saw sand, big rabbits, brown Indians, and some trees that grew upwards! Now that’s something new
but what I be most curios bout was we were told it was New Holland a land with no people and why would people live in the end of the world
Any way it was not fun living there.
On the first day 12 convicts were killed either by the guards or the Indians something that the Indians had and did were they had sticks that
Looked like curves and they had no clothes on? This confused me.
Singed J.A
January
15 1788
It’s the second day at Botany Bay
It okay but today me new mate got in a fight with an Indian but now me mate is diseased oh well.
January
18 1793
Just a few more months before I go but I really like it it here at Botany Bay it calm I have grown to like the Indians there kind but they might be making us go oh well.
Signed J.A
Did you know Australia used to be called new holland?
Matilda