In January 1788, the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay. When Botany Bay failed to live up to Captain James Cook’s glowing assessment, the fleet moved north to Port Jackson. Sydney Cove had sweet water, a fine anchorage and apparently fertile soil. On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip took possession of New South Wales in the name of George III, then king of Great Britain and Ireland. This first Australia Day was remarkable in itself. Barely three per cent of convicts and crew had p…
