herakles
04-05-2008, 02:00
Because of another post here I thought I might pen a few words about this remarkable man.
Early Life
Arthur Phillip (1738 - 1814) was born in Fulham to a German father and an English mother. As a child he was well schooled and at 13 joined the Merchant navy. He joined the RN at 15. He saw action at the Battle of Minorca in 1756 and was promoted Lieutenant before being laid off on half pay. So he joined the Portuguese navy. Here he took a convoy of convicts to Brazil and succeeded in keeping most of them alive. Recalled to the RN, he was given command of HMS Basilisk. Two years later he was promoted Captain and given command of HMS Europe but soon after was back on half pay.
In 1786 he was given command of HMS Sirius and given the task of taking the first fleet of convicts to Australia then becoming the first Governor of the colony.
The First Fleet
It left Portsmouth 13 May 1787 and reached Botany Bay 18 Jan 1788. Only 40 men died on this trip. Phillip had tried unsuccessfully to have free men join the fleet to be used as settlers on arrival. He quickly moved to Port Jackson as Botany Bay was felt to be undesirable. Cook had failed to find Port Jackson when he was there. They arrived there 26 Jan. This date is marked today as Australia Day. Here he established his colony that came to be called Sydney after the Home Secretary who nominated Phillip for this task. The French arrived a few days later. Had they arrived earlier, perhaps today Australia would be French.
Phillip sent Lt. King to take Norfolk Island. This was to ensure it did not become French and as well, was a source of what Phillip hoped to be useful timber for his ships. He was wrong with this. Later Norfolk Is. would become a hell hole of unimagined cruelty for the convicts sent there. Sirius was later wrecked there in 1790 and this caused the new colony much distress.
The new colony was blighted from the start. Several subordinates were not competent; the convicts possessed very few useful skills; there was almost no equipment useful for farming; the Sydney soil is very poor and there was little food.
Phillip was a man of vision. He had high hopes that the colony would prosper and not just be a dumping ground for the unwanted. He worked tirelessly toward that aim. Farming was established at nearby Rose Hill and proved successful. He stoutly resisted the sale of alcohol but failed to curb the illegal trade. He had a very positive attitude to the Aborigines, befriending one called Benelong whom he later took to London. He decreed that anyone harming an Aborigine would be hanged.
Just when the food supply had become desperate, the 2nd fleet arrived with many more convicts and little food. And before he returned to England, the 3rd fleet also arrived. A ship was sent to the Cape to buy provisions.
Despite all these matters, Phillip managed to whip the colony into shape and without much resort to the lash. When he finally departed in 1792 he left behind a population of 4221 of whom 222 were free men. He had recommended King as his successor but this was turned down.
Later life
On his return in 1793 he resigned and received a pension of 500 pounds. His wife had died the year before and he remarried in 1794 retiring to Bath. He returned to the RN in 1796 and retired as an Admiral of the Blue in 1805. He died in Bath. (not the bath!) He was buried at Bathampton and forgotten until rediscovered by the Father of Australian Federation Sir Henry Parkes in 1897. A memorial to him is there and in St Mary-le-Bow at the west end of Watling Street. His name is commemorated in Australia by Port Phillip, Phillip Island (Victoria), Phillip Island (Norfolk Island), the federal electorate of Phillip (1949-1993), the suburb of Phillip in Canberra, and many streets, parks and schools.
It was reported in 2007 that Phillip's remains have been lost from the grave site. No-one knows why or where. Significant searches are being made with a view to re-interring him in Australia. I wonder why he was never buried in Westminster Abbey in the first place.
For further information: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020292b.htm
http://www.hawkesburyhistory.org.au/articles/phillip.html
My thanks to various sites incl. Wiki for information.
Early Life
Arthur Phillip (1738 - 1814) was born in Fulham to a German father and an English mother. As a child he was well schooled and at 13 joined the Merchant navy. He joined the RN at 15. He saw action at the Battle of Minorca in 1756 and was promoted Lieutenant before being laid off on half pay. So he joined the Portuguese navy. Here he took a convoy of convicts to Brazil and succeeded in keeping most of them alive. Recalled to the RN, he was given command of HMS Basilisk. Two years later he was promoted Captain and given command of HMS Europe but soon after was back on half pay.
In 1786 he was given command of HMS Sirius and given the task of taking the first fleet of convicts to Australia then becoming the first Governor of the colony.
The First Fleet
It left Portsmouth 13 May 1787 and reached Botany Bay 18 Jan 1788. Only 40 men died on this trip. Phillip had tried unsuccessfully to have free men join the fleet to be used as settlers on arrival. He quickly moved to Port Jackson as Botany Bay was felt to be undesirable. Cook had failed to find Port Jackson when he was there. They arrived there 26 Jan. This date is marked today as Australia Day. Here he established his colony that came to be called Sydney after the Home Secretary who nominated Phillip for this task. The French arrived a few days later. Had they arrived earlier, perhaps today Australia would be French.
Phillip sent Lt. King to take Norfolk Island. This was to ensure it did not become French and as well, was a source of what Phillip hoped to be useful timber for his ships. He was wrong with this. Later Norfolk Is. would become a hell hole of unimagined cruelty for the convicts sent there. Sirius was later wrecked there in 1790 and this caused the new colony much distress.
The new colony was blighted from the start. Several subordinates were not competent; the convicts possessed very few useful skills; there was almost no equipment useful for farming; the Sydney soil is very poor and there was little food.
Phillip was a man of vision. He had high hopes that the colony would prosper and not just be a dumping ground for the unwanted. He worked tirelessly toward that aim. Farming was established at nearby Rose Hill and proved successful. He stoutly resisted the sale of alcohol but failed to curb the illegal trade. He had a very positive attitude to the Aborigines, befriending one called Benelong whom he later took to London. He decreed that anyone harming an Aborigine would be hanged.
Just when the food supply had become desperate, the 2nd fleet arrived with many more convicts and little food. And before he returned to England, the 3rd fleet also arrived. A ship was sent to the Cape to buy provisions.
Despite all these matters, Phillip managed to whip the colony into shape and without much resort to the lash. When he finally departed in 1792 he left behind a population of 4221 of whom 222 were free men. He had recommended King as his successor but this was turned down.
Later life
On his return in 1793 he resigned and received a pension of 500 pounds. His wife had died the year before and he remarried in 1794 retiring to Bath. He returned to the RN in 1796 and retired as an Admiral of the Blue in 1805. He died in Bath. (not the bath!) He was buried at Bathampton and forgotten until rediscovered by the Father of Australian Federation Sir Henry Parkes in 1897. A memorial to him is there and in St Mary-le-Bow at the west end of Watling Street. His name is commemorated in Australia by Port Phillip, Phillip Island (Victoria), Phillip Island (Norfolk Island), the federal electorate of Phillip (1949-1993), the suburb of Phillip in Canberra, and many streets, parks and schools.
It was reported in 2007 that Phillip's remains have been lost from the grave site. No-one knows why or where. Significant searches are being made with a view to re-interring him in Australia. I wonder why he was never buried in Westminster Abbey in the first place.
For further information: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020292b.htm
http://www.hawkesburyhistory.org.au/articles/phillip.html
My thanks to various sites incl. Wiki for information.