Arthur Phillip facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Phillip
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Captain Arthur Phillip, 1786, by Francis Wheatley
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| 1st Governor of New South Wales | |
| In office 7 February 1788 – 10 December 1792 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | John Hunter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 October 1738 Cheapside, London, England |
| Died | 31 August 1814 (aged 75) Bath, Somerset, England |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain Kingdom of Portugal |
| Branch/service |  Royal Navy Portuguese Navy |
| Rank | Admiral of the Blue |
| Battles/wars | Seven Years' War American Revolutionary War |
Admiral Arthur Phillip (October 11, 1738 – August 31, 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer. He is best known as the first Governor of the new Colony of New South Wales in Australia.
Phillip attended school from 1751 to 1753. He then became an apprentice on a whaling ship. When the Seven Years' War began, he joined the Royal Navy. He served on several ships and was promoted to lieutenant in 1761. After the war, he worked for the Portuguese Navy and fought in a war against Spain. He returned to the Royal Navy in 1778.
In 1786, Phillip was chosen to lead the First Fleet. This group of 11 ships was sent to set up a new settlement and a place for convicts (people who had committed crimes) at Botany Bay, New South Wales. When he arrived, Phillip found Botany Bay was not suitable. He searched for a better spot and found Port Jackson, which is now the site of Sydney, Australia.
Phillip was a smart governor. He quickly realized that the new colony needed a proper government and a way for convicts to become free citizens. He faced many challenges, like a lack of skilled workers and supplies. Phillip wanted to have good relationships with the local Aboriginal people. He believed they should have the same rights as everyone else. However, differences in culture sometimes led to conflict. More convicts arrived with the Second and Third Fleets, which put more pressure on the colony's limited resources. By the time Phillip returned home in 1792, the colony was starting to grow. It had official land grants, organized farming, and a water supply.
Phillip left the colony in December 1792 to get medical help in Britain. He had planned to return to Australia, but doctors advised him to resign as governor. He recovered and went back to the Navy in 1796. He retired from active service in 1805. He spent his last years in Bath, Somerset, and died on August 31, 1814. Many places in Australia are named after him, including Port Phillip and Phillip Island.
Contents
Early Life
Childhood and Education
Arthur Phillip was born on October 11, 1738, in London, England. His father, Jacob Phillip, was an immigrant from Germany. His mother, Elizabeth Breach, was a widow. His family lived a simple life in London.
There are not many records from Phillip's early childhood. His father died in 1739, which meant his family had little money. Arthur went to sea on a British naval ship when he was nine years old. On June 22, 1751, he was accepted into the Greenwich Hospital School. This was a special school for the sons of sailors who needed help.
At school, Arthur learned reading, math, and navigation skills like map-making. His headmaster described him as "unassuming, reasonable, business-like." Phillip stayed at the school for two and a half years. This was longer than most students.
At the end of 1753, he became an apprentice on a whaling ship called Fortune. He left the school on December 1 and spent the next few months getting ready for the whaling season.
Early Sea Voyages
In April 1754, the Fortune sailed to hunt whales near Svalbard. As an apprentice, Phillip helped remove blubber from whales and pack it into barrels. Food was scarce, so the crew ate bird's eggs and plants to survive. The ship returned to England in July 1754.
Phillip stayed with the Fortune for a winter trip to the Mediterranean Sea. They carried salt and raisins, and returned with grains and citrus fruits. The ship went back to Svalbard for the next whale hunt in April 1755. Phillip was still part of the crew but left his apprenticeship in July.
On October 16, 1755, Phillip joined the Royal Navy. He served as a captain's servant on HMS Buckingham. This ship was commanded by his mother's cousin, Captain Michael Everitt. Phillip served in British waters and then joined a fleet in the Mediterranean. The Buckingham was part of the Battle of Minorca in May 1756.
Phillip moved to other ships with Captain Everitt, including HMS Union and HMS Stirling Castle. He served in the Raid on St Malo and at the Siege of Havana. On June 7, 1761, Phillip became a lieutenant because of his good service. When peace came in April 1763, he was put on half-pay, meaning he received half his salary.
In July 1763, Phillip married Margaret Charlotte Denison and moved to a farm. The marriage was not happy, and they separated in 1769 when Phillip returned to the Navy. In 1774, Phillip was loaned to the Portuguese Navy as a captain. He fought in a war against Spain. He commanded a frigate and helped capture a Spanish ship.
In 1778, Phillip was called back to the Royal Navy. He was promoted to commander in 1779 and later to post-captain in 1781. He commanded HMS Ariadne and captured a French frigate. He also took a young officer, Philip Gidley King, under his guidance.
In 1782, Phillip was given command of HMS Europa. He was part of a plan to capture Spanish colonies in South America. However, a peace agreement was made before he reached his destination. Phillip was disappointed that the end of the American Revolutionary War stopped his chance for naval glory.
After returning to England in 1784, Phillip stayed in touch with government officials. From 1784 to 1786, he was asked to gather information about French naval ports. This was because Britain feared another war with France and Spain.
Governor of New South Wales
Leading the First Fleet
Some important people, like Joseph Banks, suggested creating a British colony in Botany Bay, New South Wales. This idea became more important after the American Revolution, as Britain could no longer send convicts to North America. Also, Britain wanted a base in the Pacific Ocean to balance French power.
In September 1786, Phillip was chosen to lead the First Fleet. This fleet was tasked with taking convicts and soldiers to set up a colony at Botany Bay. When he arrived, Phillip would become the governor of the new colony. A smaller colony was also planned for Norfolk Island to get flax and timber.
On October 25, 1786, Phillip was given command of HMS Sirius. Another ship, HMS Supply, also joined the expedition. Phillip faced challenges in preparing the fleet. He had to pack everything a new colony would need for an eight-month sea voyage. There was not much money for the trip. His idea to include skilled farmers and builders was rejected. Most of the 772 convicts were minor thieves from London. A group of marines and a few officers also went with Phillip.
The fleet of 11 ships and about 1,500 people left Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787. They stopped in Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro, and Table Bay for supplies. On November 25, Phillip moved to the faster Supply to go ahead and prepare for the fleet's arrival. However, he only reached Botany Bay hours before the others.
Phillip quickly decided that Botany Bay was not a good location. It had poor soil, no safe place to anchor ships, and no reliable water source. He explored further and chose Port Jackson. On January 26, 1788, the marines and convicts landed at a cove that Phillip named Sydney Cove after Lord Sydney. This date is now Australia Day. Governor Phillip officially declared the colony on February 7, 1788. Sydney Cove had fresh water and a safe harbor. Phillip famously called it "the finest Harbour in the World."
Building the Colony
On January 26, the British flag was raised, and the land was formally claimed for King George III. The next day, sailors and convicts began clearing land and setting up tents. Phillip organized the camp himself. His tent was on the east side of a stream, and the convicts' tents were on the west. Building permanent storage for supplies was a top priority.
On February 6, the female convicts arrived. Their camp was separated from the men's. On February 7, 1788, Phillip and his government officially began their work.
On February 15, 1788, Phillip sent Lieutenant Philip Gidley King with a group of 23 people, including 15 convicts, to start a colony on Norfolk Island. This was to prevent the French from claiming the island and to create another food source for the main colony.
Phillip had asked for skilled workers to be sent with the convicts, but only a few carpenters and farmers arrived. He had to use sailors with building skills. The colony was very isolated, and it took almost two years for Phillip to get replies from London.
Phillip set up a civil government with courts that applied to everyone. Two convicts, Henry and Susannah Kable, sued a ship captain for stealing their belongings. The captain thought convicts had no legal rights, but the court ruled in favor of the Kables. This showed that the law protected everyone in the new colony.
Phillip believed in strict rules and punishments. Floggings (whippings) and hangings were common, but Phillip often changed death sentences to lesser punishments. Supplies were shared equally among convicts, officers, and marines. Women received two-thirds of the men's weekly rations.
The governor also explored the land. Officers from Sirius mapped Sydney Cove. Phillip later joined them to explore Broken Bay.
The fleet's ships left over the next few months, leaving only Sirius and Supply for the governor's use. These ships were used to map the coast. When Scurvy (a disease caused by lack of Vitamin C) broke out, Sirius sailed to Cape Town for supplies. It returned in April, saving the colony from starvation.
Henry Edward Dodd, Phillip's servant and an experienced farmer, successfully grew the first crops at Farm Cove. Later, a convict named James Ruse took over farming and received the colony's first land grant for his success.
In June 1790, more convicts arrived with the Second Fleet. However, a supply ship was damaged by an iceberg, causing food shortages again. Supply was sent to Batavia (now Jakarta) for more supplies.
In late 1792, Phillip's health was not good. He handed over the governorship to Major Francis Grose. On December 11, 1792, Phillip left for Britain. He had planned to return to Australia, but his doctors advised him to resign officially in July 1793.
Working with Indigenous People
Phillip's official orders regarding Aboriginal people were to "conciliate their affections" and "live in amity and kindness with them." He was told to punish anyone who harmed them. The first meeting between the colonists and the Eora people happened in Botany Bay. Gifts were exchanged, and Phillip tried to build friendly relations. He showed them what guns could do, but also emphasized that harming Aboriginal people without reason would be punished.
After the first meetings, the Eora avoided the Sydney Cove settlement for about a year. They would warn and then attack colonists who went onto their lands away from the settlement. Phillip wanted some Eora people to live in the town so the British could learn their language and customs.
Since no Eora came to live in the settlement, Phillip decided to capture some Eora warriors. Arabanoo was captured, and Phillip and his officers began to learn his language and customs. Arabanoo died in April 1789 from smallpox, which also affected many other Eora people. Phillip then ordered the capture of two more warriors, Coleby and Bennelong. Coleby escaped, but Bennelong stayed. Bennelong and Phillip became friends for a while, before Bennelong also escaped.
Four months after Bennelong escaped, Phillip was invited to a whale feast. Bennelong greeted him in a friendly way. Suddenly, Phillip was surrounded by warriors and speared in the shoulder by a man named Willemering. Phillip ordered his men not to fight back. He may have realized the spearing was a response to the kidnappings. Friendly relations were reestablished, and Bennelong even returned to Sydney with his family.
While relations with the Indigenous people around Sydney Cove improved, those around Botany Bay remained difficult. They had killed or wounded 17 colonists. Phillip ordered a strong response to stop further attacks. However, no one was caught during the expeditions sent out.
On December 11, 1792, when Phillip returned to Britain, Bennelong and another Aboriginal man named Yemmerrawanne traveled with him on the ship Atlantic.
Later Life and Legacy
Retirement and Death
Phillip's first wife, Charlott, died in 1792. Phillip married Isabella Whitehead in 1794.
His health improved, and he returned to the Navy in March 1796. He commanded several ships, including HMS Alexander, HMS Swiftsure, and HMS Blenheim. He also worked as an inspector, touring British outposts.
He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1801. Phillip retired from active naval service in 1805. He was promoted to Vice-Admiral in 1806 and finally to Admiral of the Blue in 1814.
Phillip had a stroke in 1808, which left him partly paralyzed. He died on August 31, 1814, at his home in Bath. He was buried at St Nicholas's Church, Bathampton. His grave was forgotten for many years until it was rediscovered in 1897. An annual service is held at the church to remember him.
Remembering Arthur Phillip
Many places in Australia are named after Arthur Phillip. These include Port Phillip, Phillip Island (Victoria), Phillip Island (Norfolk Island), Phillip Street in Sydney, and the suburb of Phillip in Canberra. The Governor Phillip Tower building in Sydney and many streets, parks, and schools also bear his name.
Monuments to Phillip can be found in Bath Abbey Church and near St Paul's Cathedral in London. There is also a statue of him in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney. His portrait can be seen in the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales.
A historian named Percival Serle wrote that Phillip was "Steadfast in mind, modest, without self seeking." He said Phillip had the vision to imagine what the settlement could become and the common sense to know what was possible. Even when others complained, Phillip never did. He was sent to start a convict settlement, but he laid the groundwork for a great country.
In 2014, a memorial was dedicated to Arthur Phillip in Westminster Abbey to mark 200 years since his death. The Dean of Westminster described Phillip as a "modest, yet world-class seaman, linguist, and patriot." He said Phillip's selfless service created the strong foundations for Australia. A similar memorial was unveiled in St James' Church, Sydney. A bronze bust was placed at the Museum of Sydney, and a special event discussed his contributions to modern Australia.
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See also
In Spanish: Arthur Phillip para niños
