Student Voice
Hear from our students.
Year 4 First Fleet Convict Letters
In Terms 3 & 4, the Year 4s have been studying the history of European travel and settlement in Australia during the late 18th century.
Last week, the students showcased their understanding of the timeline of historical events, the language dialect of the period, and challenges faced by our first European settlers.
This was done through their creation of historical recounts. The students’ task was to create a character profile of a convict, brainstorm what it would have been like to be in their shoes, and to document it all in the form of a letter home to a loved one in England.
We hope you enjoy reading these fascinating pieces of writing.
Abigail J 4T
Clare G 4T
Neve A-S 4T
Amy H 4T
Samuel W4T
Max F 4T
Panagiota L 4T
Mika M 4T
Rhys S 4T
Lucy, 4K
Ben C, 4K
Orli C, 4K
Jasmine K, 4K
Lily B, 4K
A Letter Home
Jan 26th 1788
Dear Bob,
I
am writing to you from New Holland.
Currently I am in my hammock as I am waiting to disembark the ship. The journey was long and precarious and I am very happy that we have reached the end of it even though I am unsure of what lies ahead of me.
My journey began on the 13th May 1787. It was a beautiful, sunny spring day, I clearly remember the sound of the birds chirping. I was feeling scared and lonely at the prospect of boarding one of these gigantic ships that sat majestically in in the docks in Portsmouth. There was hustle and bustle everywhere and I suddenly started to feel very lonely. The reason that I find myself in this quagmire is because I was found guilty by a judge at the old Bailey of stealing two linen shirts and a pistol. My punishment was seven years transportation to the colony and as the ships were leaving that week I was sent directly to Portsmouth to board.
I was sad that I could not say goodbye to my family and friends before I left. I feel that this may be the last time I set foot on jolly old England. The smell of the salty sea air was something I never experienced before. I could hear the clanking of chains as other prisoners were taken aboard the ships.
The ship I was taken onto was named Scarborough. It was a tall ship with three huge masts and four decks, some with tiny little round windows. I was not lucky enough to have windows on my deck.
The marines formed a line as we were marched up the ramp onto the ship. Men, women and children of all ages seemed to be aboard all shackled up just like me. It seemed like hundreds of boxes of goods were also being loaded as well.
It hadn’t even been 24 hours before the home sickness had set in. The thought of never seeing any of you again made my stomach churn. Although it was already churning as the waves were getting bigger and our huge boat did not seem so huge out in the great Atlantic Ocean. There were days when I thought we were going to capsize and drown.
Conditions on the ship got worse very quickly as food and water began to be rationed. We were only allowed to wash once a week and soon the stench of sweat and the putrid smell of rotten food began to make even the toughest of us all start to feel queasy.
The sleeping quarters were dark and dingy and there were not enough hammocks for everyone. Rotten biscuits and water were our food for most of the journey until we landed at a new port.
We stopped at 3 different ports before we arrived at our destination. I cannot describe the joy we all felt every time we saw land. My favourite port was definitely arriving at Table Bay in South Africa on 14th November 1787 as the journey had been very rough and long and we had run out of supplies. There were so many different foods and animals I had never seen before. Everything seemed so different to me. The weather was hot and very different to my beloved wet and windy England.
I jumped for joy when we were told that we had arrived at our final destination called Port Jackson. As we slowly sailed into the port (nothing like the ports we had seen on the way) I could see grass plains, trees and what looked like some natives standing on the shore looking out at us. They did not look very happy to see us. That is when the reality set in for my dubious future.
I left the ship on the 27th January 1788 to help build the first buildings of this new colony. The people I worked for were not too harsh so if I put my head down and worked hard then I could make a better life for myself.
Farewell from your friend Oisín.
(Oisín 4M)
27th January 1788
Dearest Mother
We’re finally here! Sydney Cove, the 27th of January 1788. Just a day after landing.
It is boiling hot! It feels like the sun is touching my blank white skin. It is the middle of summer.
I am so happy that I’m leaving that wretched ship! But I’m also kind of worried because I’ve never been to this place before.
I just stole a broke pocket watch, I didn’t think it was any use to anyone, besides, I could’ve tinkered with it to make it work again. I even could’ve sold it to make a profit! I was so devastated when the owner didn’t want it to work again.
I was kind of contented when I didn’t have to go onto one of those unappetising hulks.
When boarding the decent ship ‘the Charlotte’, I had this feeling that this was going to be a long abhorrent journey. I could feel and see the beautiful red paint on the Charlotte.
I could smell the salted beef from a mile away.
I heard the clonking on the ship from convicts, like me boarding.
I tasted the cold salted water in the air.
The Charlotte was a beautiful ship, just the name you called my sister. It had a neat thick strip of red paint all along the side of the ship. It also had 2 black stripes of paint, one above and one below the red stripe.
The Charlotte also had shiny dark wood underneath the paint. And lastly it had a red flag on the back of the ship.
There were about 20 convicts on the ship already, one being my uncle. I was immediately taken to the beds, well more like prisons with hammocks.
I really miss sister and you, Mother. Please take care of bunny.
I’m determined to be as well behaved as I can to come back.
Everything was fine until this happened…
Vomit was everywhere, there was also no privacy. There were 107 other convicts, besides my uncle. We ate bread, hardtack, salted beef or pork, peas, oatmeal. My duties were to fix things, make machinery and make buckets.
I felt overcrowded in the brain when on the Charlotte. Four convicts died, and 50 got sick, luckily I only got seasickness.
We stopped at Tenerife for which we stayed a week, Rio De Janeiro, we stayed here for a month and got , Cape town, whom we stayed for a month, Botany Bay wasn’t suitable so we went to Sydney Cove instead.
It was nice and cool when we were boarding the Charlotte but when we arrived at Sydney Cove, it turned to burning weather, just like the sun touching your skin.
When I was on the Charlotte, I felt auspicious that we were going to a new land, I saw the waves glistening and dancing in the sunlight when we we’re going to shore. I could hear the trickling of the sea water splashing onto the sides of the Charlotte. I tasted the sea water in the warm winds, while on deck.
When sailing to shore I could see the creamy yellow sand, the trees swaying, and some natives using these spears for catching fish, I was so in the mood that I wanted to run up to the natives and teach them how we fish back in England.
I felt serene when seeing land again, especially because the water was getting calmer and calmer when we we’re getting within reach of the shore.
Some of the convicts where shoved down the stairs while the rest of us got to walk down the stairs ourselves.
I really hope that Uncle and I can come home soon. I think life now here in this unidentified land will be quite harsh but also quite pleasant because I might be able to talk with the natives* and get to know them, and also watch the waters splashing about.
Yours truly,
Vientite
P.S – the Natives have very dark skin, it’s quite odd, if I come home I’ll make sure to draw a picture of them for you.
(Miranda 4M)
Indigo 4M
Fred 4M
Zahlia 4F
Nina 4F
