The First Fleet, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, sets sail on May 13, 1787 from Portsmouth, England, with 11 British ships to establish a penal colony in Australia, Botany Bay. The fleet consisted of two Royal Navy escort ships, six convict transports, and three store ships carrying supplies.
Approximately 1,500 people, including convicts, crew, soldiers, and their families, were on board. The First Fleet's journey, took eight months and one week, arriving on January 26, 1788 - marked the beginning of European settlement in Australia.
