The commander of the First Fleet was Sir Captain Arthur Philip, he departed England on 13 May 1787 with 11 ships bound for Australia.
The First Fleet departed from Portsmouth, England and traveled via Tenerife (Canary Islands) and Rio de Janeiro to the Cape of Good Hope before arriving in Australia. The First Fleet navigated about 24,000 kilometers throughout the entire journey.
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How many convict ships were there in the First Fleet?
Why would Naval Ships be needed?
Interested in old ships? Click on the link below to take a self-guided tour of the HMB Endeavour
Text Ref: State Library of New South Wales (2022) First Fleet Learning Activities. www.sl.nsw.gov.au; National Geographic. Photo 1 Ref: Britannica, Photo 2 Ref: Sydney Living Museum