PARRAMATTA, NSW. — On November 1, 1791, a group of 20 or 21 male convicts and one pregnant female convict escaped from the gaol at Parramatta in an attempt to reach China.
It was not known what lay beyond the boundaries of the colony at Port Jackson, but many believed that China lay beyond the Blue Mountains.
They took with them rations, tools and clothes. Whilst some of the convicts were recaptured, many simply died in the unfamiliar bushland of New South Wales.
Conditions in the new colony were tough. The English tools could not stand up to the hard work of tilling the Australian soil, and they broke easily.
The convicts were disinclined to work hard, many of them not being used to manual labour, and the heat and humidity of the Australian climate only added to their discomfort and lack of motivation to work.
In addition, rations had to be meted out very carefully until farms could start producing crops. Many convicts were hungry enough to steal food, and punishment for theft was severe, ranging from lashing with a cat o’ nine tails, or even death by hanging.
Governor Phillip could not afford for any rations to be lost to theft, so he felt compelled to enforce harsh disciplinary measures. As a result, many convicts attempted to escape.
Australia was originally settled by convicts and officers of the First Fleet. The fleet assembled in Portsmouth, England, and set sail on May 13, 1787. They arrived in Botany Bay on January 18, 1788.
After determining that Botany Bay was unsuitable for settlement, Captain Arthur Phillip led the Fleet northwards to Port Jackson, arriving on January 26, 1788.
