Arthur Phillip
The pragmatic and surprisingly humane naval captain who founded modern Australia, steering a fleet of convicts through starvation to establish a fledgling colony.
1738–1814 (age 76)·Royal Navy Admiral and colonial administrator·Birthday: October 11
Biography
Arthur Phillip's assignment in 1787 seemed like a punishment detail: lead a fleet of British cast-offs—convicts, marines, and a few officials—to a barely charted continent on the other side of the world. His mission was to establish a penal colony, but Phillip envisioned something more. A seasoned and thoughtful Royal Navy officer, he understood that survival, let alone success, required fairness and foresight. The first years at Sydney Cove were brutal, defined by near-famine and desperate struggle. Phillip's leadership was tested daily. He insisted on equal rations for all, convict and free, and famously ordered that the colony's last sheep be slaughtered for the sick, not reserved for the officers. He attempted, with limited success, to build respectful relations with the Indigenous Eora people. Exhausted and in poor health, he returned to England in 1792, leaving behind a fragile but functioning settlement. While he never saw it flourish, the systems he implemented and the ethos of relative decency he enforced provided the unlikely foundation for one of the world's most prosperous nations.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1738
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1738Born
1743Started school
1751Became a teenager
1754Could drive
1756Could vote
1759Turned 21
1768Turned 30
1778Turned 40
1788Turned 50
1798Turned 60
1808Turned 70
1814Died at 76
Key Achievements
- Commanded the First Fleet of 11 ships on their eight-month voyage from England to Botany Bay in 1788.
- Served as the first Governor of New South Wales, establishing the initial British settlement at Sydney Cove.
- Implemented a policy of equal food distribution during the colony's near-famine conditions.
- Issued the first land grant in Australia to a freed convict, James Ruse, to encourage farming.
Did You Know?
Before his naval career, he served in the Portuguese Navy for several years.
The city of Sydney, Australia's largest, is named after Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney, the Home Secretary who gave Phillip his commission.
He was wounded by an Aboriginal warrior's spear during a misunderstanding at Manly Cove.
After returning to England, he later served again as a naval commander during the Napoleonic Wars.
“I would not wish convicts to a dog.”
