Snippets in Brief
Orange seeds came with the First Fleet – a citrus industry was established by 1797
Governor Phillip was under instructions to introduce plants and seeds for sustainable horticulture. Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and mandarins were planted and formed the basis of today’s national industry.
Horses: During his stopover on route to Botany Bay, Gov Phillip purchased in Cape Town a stallion, four mares, a colt and a filly. Later ships brought more horses to New South Wales, and by mixing different breeds, a strong, versatile horse evolved very suited to Australian conditions. The result was the New South ‘Waler’. In 1844 an important trade developed exporting Walers (as they became known) to India for the British Army.
The Waler was the horse of choice when troops were sent to Egypt for the World War 1 Middle East campaigns where they proved their stamina, strength and bravery.
Grape vines: The First Fleet brought grape vines to see if the climate suited viticulture, but failed at Sydney Cove because the humidity caused a fungal disease. New attempts were made at Rydalmere in 1792 and by John Macarthur at Camden in 1817. James Busby planted varieties in the Botanic Gardens in 1832 which were the saving of George Wyndham’s efforts when his vines failed in the 1830s. George Wyndham’s estate was taken over the Penfolds.
Snippets from Governor Phillip:
Thursday 10th March 1788
La Perouse, five days earlier than he had planned, slipped out of Botany Bay and he and
his two beautiful ships and all who had so far survived the journey sailed into the unknown
never to be seen again. (It was not until 1826 that the wreckage of the two ships was
sighted on a reef in the Santa Cruz group of islands in the Pacific.)
Captain Phillip
Tuesday 15th March 1788
We have found three sorts of stone in this country: Freestone, which appears equal to Port-
land stone, a bad firestone and a stone that appears to contain a large proportion of iron.
We have found clay for bricks, but no chalk or limestone has yet been found.
Captain Phillip
Wednesday 23rd March 1788
I record the catching of a great shark this day, 13 feet long and 6 and a half feet round. After
his jaws were taken out they passed over the largest man in the ship without touching. The
liver gave us 26 gallons of oil, he had four hooks cut from within him besides that which
caught him.
Captain Phillip
COLONIAL NOTABLE FIRSTS
The first CHRISTENING conducted in New South Wales was by the Rev. Richard Johnson at Botany Bay on Monday 21st. January 1788.
- The son of Joshua Bentley, a sailor, and of Mary Bolton, a convict, was christened Joshua Bentley. There is uncertainty as to who was the mother of young Joshua. Joshua Bowes, was born aboard Lady Penrhyn, to Ann Morton, on 15 November 1787.
- That ship’s log records that Ann Moulton was delivered of a girl on that day. The mother’s name recorded in St. Phillips baptismal register is recorded as Mary Moulton but there was no First Fleet convict of that name.
- The first Christening to be performed by the Rev. Richard Johnson following his commission as Chaplain was on 20 April 1787 following the birth of William Tilley to Mary Abel, otherwise Tilley, of Worcester, aboard Lady Penrhyn when the transport was anchored at the Motherbank, Portsmouth. On 4th May 1788, Mary married Thomas Tilley at Sydney Cove but two weeks later her baby son died. Mary Abel/Tilley died in Sydney Cove and was buried there on 21 July 1788.
The first MARRIAGES conducted at Sydney Cove were at a church service held by Rev. Johnson on Sunday 10th February 1788 and attended by the crew of the Sirius. The first couple married were William Parr and Mary McCormack, William signed the register, they were followed by Simon Burn and Francis Anderson, Henry Cable to Susannah Holmes, William Haynes to Hannah Green and William Bryant to Mary Brand.
The first CHURCH was a ‘wattle and daub’ construction commenced by the Rev. Richard Johnson, chaplain to the colony of NSW, on the 10th June 1793. situated at the corner of what were later Bligh and Hunter Streets. This first church was named St Phillip's for the first Governor of NSW.
The Ebenezer Presbyterian Church (now the Uniting Church) is the oldest church in Australia, built at Swallow Rock Beach on the banks of the Hawkesbury north of Windsor by pioneer Scotch settlers between 1807—1809.
The first CHURCH BELLS arrived in Sydney aboard HMS Reliance in September 1795, having been cast by T. Mears of London the year before. The first peal was rung, nearly 12 years after the arrival of the bells, on 29 May 1807.
The first PIPE ORGAN built in Australia by W. J. Johnson and Kinloch was completed and erected in St. Matthew’s Church, Windsor in 1840. William Jonathon Johnson was born in Islington, London in 1811 and arrived in Sydney in 1836 as a cabin passenger aboard the brig Salacia from London. Two years later he married Eliza Harris Tompson of ‘Clydesdale’. Eliza was a granddaughter of First Fleet convict William Boggis. St Matthew’s organ, the first ‘finger’ organ built in Australia, was restored in 1986 and now stands in its original gallery.
A website for History in Brief: http://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/history-5-first.html
© Arthur Phillip Chapter of Fellowship of First Fleeters 2022 -
Orange seeds came with the First Fleet – a citrus industry was established by 1797
Governor Phillip was under instructions to introduce plants and seeds for sustainable horticulture. Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and mandarins were planted and formed the basis of today’s national industry.
Horses: During his stopover on route to Botany Bay, Gov Phillip purchased in Cape Town a stallion, four mares, a colt and a filly. Later ships brought more horses to New South Wales, and by mixing different breeds, a strong, versatile horse evolved very suited to Australian conditions. The result was the New South ‘Waler’. In 1844 an important trade developed exporting Walers (as they became known) to India for the British Army.
The Waler was the horse of choice when troops were sent to Egypt for the World War 1 Middle East campaigns where they proved their stamina, strength and bravery.
Grape vines: The First Fleet brought grape vines to see if the climate suited viticulture, but failed at Sydney Cove because the humidity caused a fungal disease. New attempts were made at Rydalmere in 1792 and by John Macarthur at Camden in 1817. James Busby planted varieties in the Botanic Gardens in 1832 which were the saving of George Wyndham’s efforts when his vines failed in the 1830s. George Wyndham’s estate was taken over the Penfolds.
Snippets from Governor Phillip:
Thursday 10th March 1788
La Perouse, five days earlier than he had planned, slipped out of Botany Bay and he and
his two beautiful ships and all who had so far survived the journey sailed into the unknown
never to be seen again. (It was not until 1826 that the wreckage of the two ships was
sighted on a reef in the Santa Cruz group of islands in the Pacific.)
Captain Phillip
Tuesday 15th March 1788
We have found three sorts of stone in this country: Freestone, which appears equal to Port-
land stone, a bad firestone and a stone that appears to contain a large proportion of iron.
We have found clay for bricks, but no chalk or limestone has yet been found.
Captain Phillip
Wednesday 23rd March 1788
I record the catching of a great shark this day, 13 feet long and 6 and a half feet round. After
his jaws were taken out they passed over the largest man in the ship without touching. The
liver gave us 26 gallons of oil, he had four hooks cut from within him besides that which
caught him.
Captain Phillip
COLONIAL NOTABLE FIRSTS
The first CHRISTENING conducted in New South Wales was by the Rev. Richard Johnson at Botany Bay on Monday 21st. January 1788.
- The son of Joshua Bentley, a sailor, and of Mary Bolton, a convict, was christened Joshua Bentley. There is uncertainty as to who was the mother of young Joshua. Joshua Bowes, was born aboard Lady Penrhyn, to Ann Morton, on 15 November 1787.
- That ship’s log records that Ann Moulton was delivered of a girl on that day. The mother’s name recorded in St. Phillips baptismal register is recorded as Mary Moulton but there was no First Fleet convict of that name.
- The first Christening to be performed by the Rev. Richard Johnson following his commission as Chaplain was on 20 April 1787 following the birth of William Tilley to Mary Abel, otherwise Tilley, of Worcester, aboard Lady Penrhyn when the transport was anchored at the Motherbank, Portsmouth. On 4th May 1788, Mary married Thomas Tilley at Sydney Cove but two weeks later her baby son died. Mary Abel/Tilley died in Sydney Cove and was buried there on 21 July 1788.
The first MARRIAGES conducted at Sydney Cove were at a church service held by Rev. Johnson on Sunday 10th February 1788 and attended by the crew of the Sirius. The first couple married were William Parr and Mary McCormack, William signed the register, they were followed by Simon Burn and Francis Anderson, Henry Cable to Susannah Holmes, William Haynes to Hannah Green and William Bryant to Mary Brand.
The first CHURCH was a ‘wattle and daub’ construction commenced by the Rev. Richard Johnson, chaplain to the colony of NSW, on the 10th June 1793. situated at the corner of what were later Bligh and Hunter Streets. This first church was named St Phillip's for the first Governor of NSW.
The Ebenezer Presbyterian Church (now the Uniting Church) is the oldest church in Australia, built at Swallow Rock Beach on the banks of the Hawkesbury north of Windsor by pioneer Scotch settlers between 1807—1809.
The first CHURCH BELLS arrived in Sydney aboard HMS Reliance in September 1795, having been cast by T. Mears of London the year before. The first peal was rung, nearly 12 years after the arrival of the bells, on 29 May 1807.
The first PIPE ORGAN built in Australia by W. J. Johnson and Kinloch was completed and erected in St. Matthew’s Church, Windsor in 1840. William Jonathon Johnson was born in Islington, London in 1811 and arrived in Sydney in 1836 as a cabin passenger aboard the brig Salacia from London. Two years later he married Eliza Harris Tompson of ‘Clydesdale’. Eliza was a granddaughter of First Fleet convict William Boggis. St Matthew’s organ, the first ‘finger’ organ built in Australia, was restored in 1986 and now stands in its original gallery.
A website for History in Brief: http://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/history-5-first.html
© Arthur Phillip Chapter of Fellowship of First Fleeters 2022 -