convicts_at_botany_bay_commons
THE MINUTIAE OF COLONIAL LIFE..
THE MINUTIAE OF COLONIAL LIFE..
For this foundling colony of Australia to be successful, it had to be well supplied and well organised. Government Gazettes were filled with minute details...
Contracts were issued.. covering provisions for the Military, male convicts, female convicts, children.. These covered food, medical supplies, clothing and all else needed...
Note that it doesn't say how long these provisions were meant to last.
New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900), Wednesday 25 September 1833 National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230390779
State Library of Victoria
Creative Commons licence.
First colonists on tight rations - Australian food history timelinehttps://australianfoodtimeline.com.au › first-colonists-food
1788 First colonists on tight rations
The first colonists had a meagre diet. In the first year of European settlement at Port Jackson, adults received a weekly ration of 7 lb of flour, 7 lb of pork or beef, 3 pints of peas, 6 oz of butter and 1/2 lb rice. These rations were supplemented by any food the settlers could grow. Public gardens were planted at Farm Cove.
The first fleet brought livestock to provide food for the first colonists. Records say that this comprised seven horses, six cattle, twenty-nine sheep, twelve pigs, and a few goats. Later in 1788, a letter from Governor Captain Phillip to Lord Sydney, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, gives details of the numbers of each kind of livestock in the colony on 1 May, 1788. The summary is as follows: Horses, 7; cattle, 7; sheep, 29; pigs, 74; rabbits, 5; turkeys, 18; geese, 29; ducks, 35; fowls, 209.
Captain Phillip had been instructed to begin cultivation of the soil “under such regulations as may appear to be necessary and best calculated for securing supplies of grain and provisions“. However, the land at Botany Bay was found to be unsuitable for cultivation. Even when the settlement was moved to Port Jackson the soil in the area did not favour the growing of cereal crops. Another issue was that few of the first colonists had any knowledge of agriculture and animal husbandry.
The early settlers relied on fish, oysters and native animals and fruits to supplement their diet. They also traded with the local aboriginal people for game, especially kangaroo.
Some convict clothing...
Sydney Living Museum
nla.pic-an000006393471-000001-m_0
( National Library Australia)
NSW Govt Gazette 24 Jun 1835 Iss 173
Prisoners' Barracks, Hyde Park, Robert Russell, 1836 Rex Nan Kivell Collection, NLA, PIC U384 NK707/15 LOC2346
Butchers Shambles, by S. T. Gill.
Image: Gold Museum Collection 86_628
Image: Gold Museum Collection 86_628
Further Reading...
The English and Australian Cookery Book Australia’s first cookbook..written by Tasmanian politician Edward Abbott and published in 1864.
https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/convict-sydney/1836-day-life-convict
Parrot pie and possum curry – how colonial Australians embraced ...theconversation.com › parrot-pie-and-possum-curry-how-colonial-australi...
Parrot pie and possum curry – how colonial Australians embraced ...theconversation.com › parrot-pie-and-possum-curry-how-colonial-australi...
Fascinating - and what a great collection of resources for further exploration. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteChris, interesting collection of info. I added the post to my #trovetuesday board on Pinterest. Fran
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fran, glad you enjoyed it. We're fortunate to have so many resources to learn about our history.
DeleteThank you for your comment, glad you found it interesting. There is so much to learn re our colonial history.
ReplyDelete