Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay

Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay is one of Tench’s two accounts of early colonial Australian life, the other being The Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson. Before setting sail for Australia, Tench arranged with the London firm Debrett to publish his account of the colony for the eager readership back home. First published in 1789, the text ran to three editions and was promptly translated into French, German, Dutch and Swedish.

Watkin Tench (1758?-1833) was a novelist, writing about the early European settlement of Sydney and its surrounds. Before arriving in Sydney Tench was an English marine during the American War of Independence.

1. From the embarkation of the convicts to the departure of the ships from England
2. From the departure to the arrival of the fleet at Teneriffe
3. The fleet’s arrival at Teneriffe to its departure for Rio de Janeiro, in the Brazils
4. The passage from Teneriffe to Rio de Janeiro
5. From the arrival of the fleet at Rio de Janeiro till its departure for the Cape of Good Hope, with some remarks on the Brazils
6. The passage from the Brazils to the Cape of Good Hope; with an account of the transactions of the fleet there
7. The passage from the Cape of Good Hope to Botany Bay
8. From the fleet’s arrival at Botany Bay to the evacuation of it, and taking possession of Port Jackson; interviews with the natives, and an account of the country about Botany Bay
9. The taking possession of Port Jackson, with the disembarkation of the marines and convicts
10. The reading of the commissions, and taking possession of the settlement in form, with an account of the courts of law, and the mode of administering public justice in this country
11. A description of the natives of New South Wales, and our transactions with them
12. The departure of the French from Botany Bay, and the return of the supply from Norfolk Island, with a discovery made by Lieut. Ball in his passage to it
13. Transactions at Port Jackson in the months of April and May
14. From the beginning of June to the departure of the ships for Europe
15. The face of the country, its productions, climate, &c.
16. The progress made in the settlement, and the situation of affairs at the time of the ship, which conveys this account, sailing for England
17. Some thoughts on the advantages which may arise to the mother country from forming the colony

A list of the civil and military establishments in New South Wales
Postscript