Settling a whole continent

For centuries ships have been leaving Portsmouth for all parts of the world. However one of the most notable departures must be that of the First Fleet to Australia on 13 May 1787. Looking for a solution to rising crime, the British Government fitted out 6 convict ships, 3 store ships and 2 naval vessels to carry 756 convicts (both male and female), their Marine guards (some with families) and a few civil officers to the ‘land beyond the seas’. The ships had arrived in Portsmouth on 16 March 1787 where convicts and marines embarked and awaited orders to depart. The Fleet sailed under the command of Captain Arthur Philip and made stops at Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town to take on supplies. It arrived in Botany Bay, the first people to visit since Captain Cook had discovered it in 1770, in January 1788. After a difficult start, the new colony began to expand and flourish providing the foundation stone for a new country. A colourful series of events were held in Portsmouth to celebrate the bicentenary of this event in 1987. Perhaps the most memorable was in Guildhall Square where the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh joined a huge crowd to watch, among other things, a display of aboriginal dancing.