The First Fleet

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The First Fleet
by Robert (Bob) Moore

The 26th of January, is called Australia Day
that was when some 10 pound poms, decided they would stay
they had been, for about a week, at a place called Botany Bay
not much there, just sand and rock, and so they sailed away

Up the coast a little bit, they found another bay
we’ll call this place Port Jackson, and this is where we’ll stay
they saw some Aboriginals, a strange look on their face
They’re Manly looking people, that’s what we’ll call this place

They landed on the southern shore, and brought the others round
we’ll start to build a village here and call it Sydney Town
the convicts and the freemen, will work together here
and send word back to Old England, to send settlers, food and gear

They found there were no buildings, no roads to get around
there was no form of transport, strange animals abound
A paradise for botanists, with many strange plants too
and birds of many colours, through the clear skies flew

They knew that they would have to work, to make the new town grow
but the soil was not too good, and the settlers did not know
how to farm to grow the food, the settlement would need
in the hot and dry unfertile land, unsuitable to seed

The natives they were wary, of the strangers on their land
and the settlers called them Indians, and they did not understand
they yelled, and threw a spear or two, to make them go away
but they were soon to realize, these people were here to stay

they could not live on local plants, and seeds they could collect
not very good at fishing, and at hunting were inept,
ate rats and dogs and kangaroo, so that they would  survive
supplies that they had brought with them, and hoped they’d stay alive.

They were short of shelter, and building tools were few
and local trees were huge, and hard for cutting through
soon the tools were blunt or broken, and the building slowed
with no extra clothing, they wore patched and threadbare clothes

The Syrius was sent away in October ‘88,
To Cape Town for provisions, so they would have to wait
and reduce the farm and building time, cut back on rations too
until May in ’89, when her sails hove into view.

Convicts, free men, and marines, on the HMS Supply
had sailed for Norfolk Island, a new settlement to try
they found the land more fertile, timber easier to cut down
but could not load it on the ships, to send back to Sydney Town.

But from this small beginning, no one there could know
that their sacrifice and fortitude, would make a city grow
and people from around the world, would come here to be free
and Sydney would become a town, of gracious majesty

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