The first fleet women come ashore
On Wednesday 6th Feb 1788, The Women Were Brought Ashore From Their Transport Ships.....
"At 5 O'clock In The Morning, All Things Were Got In Order For Landing The Whole Of The Women, And 3 Of The Ships Longboats Came Alongsude Us To Receive Them; Prevoous To Their Quitting
The Ship, A Strict Search Was Made To Try If Any Of The Many Things Which They Had Stolen On Board Could Be Found, But Their Artiface Eluded The Most Strict Search, And At 6 O'clock, We Had The Long Wished Pleasure Of Seeing The Last Of Them Leave The Ship. they Were Dressed In General Very Clean, & Some Few Amongst Them Might Be Said To Be Well Dressed. The Men Convicts Got To Them Very Soon After They Landed, & It Is Beyond My Abilities To Give A Just Description If The Scene Of Debauchery
Some of the First Fleet journals and letters do not even mention this little ceremony, there were only a few officers and men involved. There appear to have been no convicts on shore for this ceremony, or if they were, they didn’t rate a mention. A number of the officers were also not present nor mentioned it in their journals. Those who were not on shore or who did not mention this incident include: Worgan, White, Tench, Collins, Blackburn, Bradley and Clarke.
This could indicate, to the participants, this was nothing more than a thanksgiving for their safe arrival. None of the reporters give the incident much importance, unlike the reading of Phillip's Commission on 7 February 1788. Some of the male able-bodied convicts were disembarked the next day, 27 January, and the remainder over the next few days. None of the female convicts were allowed off the ships until 6 February 1788, when the sick were also landed and admitted to the tent hospital.
Therefore, in reality, on 26 January 1788 the only event was the anchoring of the ships of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove, the running up of a flag and a toast to the King and success of the colony.
The official ceremony occurred on the 7 February 1788.
Phillip:
"The 7th of February, 1788, was the memorable day which
established a regular form of Government on the coast of New South
Wales. On a space previously cleared, the whole colony was
assembled; the military drawn up, and under arms; the convicts
stationed apart; and near the person of the Governor, those who
were to hold the principal offices under him. The Royal Commission
was then read by Mr. D. Collins, the Judge Advocate. By this
instrument Arthur Phillip was constituted and appointed Captain
General and Governor in Chief in and over the territory, called
