We visited the Museum of Sydney while in Sydney and saw representations of all the 11 ships that made their way to Botany Bay back in 1787.

I had never quite appreciated their numbers, their cargos and their passengers as I did seeing the ships listed with their contents in this Museum. On 5 August 1787, while Charlotte was anchored at Rio de Janeiro, it was discovered that a coin counterfeiting ‘business’ had been going on below its decks.

Golden Grove carried the colony’s first chaplain, Reverend Richard Johnson, his wife, Mary, their servant, Samuel Barnes and their two cats, Mr Tom Puss and Miss Puss. The Reverend wrote:

“On the 1st of Jany, we met with a severe gale which lasted for about 24 hours … The different elements seemed to be in the greatest tumult, threatening our dissolution every moment. But through mercy we suffered little … and I do assure you we ate our roast Pig and Plumb pudding with great relish, though with no less difficulty, our plates, &c., tumbling down, and we scarcely able to keep upon our seats”.

Alexander was the most unhealthy of the Fleet’s ships in terms of sickness and deaths. Most of the crew dying of scurvy and replaced by survivors of the wrecked ship Friendship.

There were pianos and provisions, young convicts and old sailors. The records are as fascinating as they are disturbing.

Talking about gales and weather events – we had one too – and it allowed me to connect some dots – we flew to Brisbane, circled around and could not land because of the severity of a storm – so we returned to Sydney and ended up spending the night – yup, you guessed it – in Botany Bay.

How these things happen I do not know, but there we were walking along the beach which had been the scene of the arrival of the First Fleet.

And who do you think came soon after the First Fleet ?

The area has been dubbed ‘Little Greece by the Bay’ for its many Greek cafés, restaurants and businesses.

Our adventure completed with the arrival up above us of three Black Cockatoos munching merrily on some banksia seeds dramatic against the dark skies.

Sovereignty was never ceded. Always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.