General News
3 March, 2026
First Fleet Convinct Women and Their Struggle to Survive
The early days of the First Fleet’s settlement in Sydney Cove in 1788 were not for the weak or the timid. The female convicts, greatly outnumbered by the males found themselves in a dangerous situation. It is not widely known but the very first days of the colony were days of shame as tragically anarchy and debauchery resulted. Surely no other nation has begun in such a lawless and immoral manner and surely it was the worst possible start for women in Australia.
The eleven ships of the First Fleet carried roughly 580 male convicts and 185 female convicts accompanied by 212 marines and civil officers, 33 wives of marines and possibly 20 of their children.
Examination of those figures clearly shows the huge discrepancy in numbers between males and females.
Conditions on the ships were horrific for both male and female convicts as they were mostly kept in irons and confined below decks.
Surprisingly records show only 48 convicts died on the voyage and there were 28 births during the eight month nightmare voyage.
A long ocean voyage with hundreds of men without female companionship and nearly 200 female convicts locked away below decks - what could possibly go wrong?
On some ships the sailors cut holes in the timber bulkheads so they could get to the female convicts.
The convict women, forced to survive in cramped quarters below decks with appalling food, found they could improve their situation by forming relationships with sailors or marines.
Better still, “gentlemen” officers were much sought after and many used their position of authority to select the female convict they wanted as their concubine during the voyage.
Historian Anne Summers in her feminist history of Australia, titled “Damned Whores and God’s Police” believes the role of the colony’s convict women was firmly established even before the Fleet landed in Sydney Cove.
Summers states that when the male convicts were unloaded and began the task of establishing a camp site the female convicts were held on the ships for an extra eleven days and they began yelling and screaming to be allowed ashore.
It seems Governor Arthur Phillip knew what would eventuate when they were unloaded and aware that his own soldiers would be the main offenders.
He also knew he would be powerless to stop the anarchy.
As the convict women were unloaded from the ships a thunderstorm erupted and the marines, sailors and male convicts, fuelled by the heavy drinking of rum, set after the women.
Eyewitness accounts, such as those from surgeon Arthur Bowes Smyth, describe scenes of “debauchery and riot” where men “got to the women very soon after they landed”.
Consensual sex, fighting, sexual harassment and rape continued well into the night.
How could the colony have started in a worse manner?
How could the history of women in Australia have started so disastrously?
In the days and weeks that followed the convict women found their best method of survival was to form a relationship with a male who could protect them.
Many such relationships had already been formed on the long voyage out and while some of these relationships continued after landing, many didn’t.
Governor Arthur Phillip gradually regained control of the colony after establishing harsh penalties for those who committed crimes against women.
Over the next few weeks The Clifton Courier will tell the stories of convict women who overcame the night of shame in our history and fought to establish respectable and successful lives.
They are stories of a courageous and desperate will to survive that many convict women displayed to overcome disadvantage in a savage environment.
Our first story next week will tell the “rags to riches” story of Esther Abrahams who arrived on the First Fleet as a 17 years old Jewish girl convicted of the petty crime of stealing a length of black lace material.
Esther’s story parallels the story of our nation because after a wretched beginning she ultimately attains wealth, security and respect, as has the Australian nation.
