{"id":130082,"date":"2024-02-09T19:11:51","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T19:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=130082"},"modified":"2024-02-09T19:12:17","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T19:12:17","slug":"captain-cook-the-first-fleet-australia-day-relevant-facts-by-michael-roberts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/captain-cook-the-first-fleet-australia-day-relevant-facts-by-michael-roberts\/","title":{"rendered":"Captain Cook, the First Fleet & Australia Day: Relevant Facts-by Michael Roberts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Captain Cook, the First Fleet & Australia Day: Relevant Facts-by Michael Roberts<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Sourcce:<\/span>Thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Earlson Forbes in Sydney\u00a0in Email Memo to Michael Roberts, 9 February 2024** as a Comment on this TPS Item\u00a0viz\u00a0https:\/\/thuppahis.com\/2024\/02\/08\/anzac-day-outdoes-australia-day-in-the\u2013scales-of-dinky-die-australian-nationalism\/<\/a>\u00a0\u2026\u2026\u2026..\u00a0Note that the highlights in black are those by Earlson, while the other coloured segments are those of Editor Roberts.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst the author of this email has made many interesting observations, I think clarification is due on some aspects of the contents. The email in question states.\u00a0\u2018The first fleet arrived in Botany Bay on 18<\/em><\/strong>th<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0January. The 26<\/em><\/strong>th<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0was chosen as Australia Day for a very different and important reason.\u00a0 The 26<\/em><\/strong>th<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of January 1949 is the day Australians received their independence from British Rule\u2019.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The comment regarding the arrival of Captain James Cook is correct. James Cook did not bring the First Fleet to Australia. Many years before the First Fleet arrived in Australia Captain Cook was on a voyage to the mid Pacific.\u00a0 Cook\u2019s voyage took him to Hawaii where there was a fierce encounter with the Hawaiians and Cook was killed in the skirmish on 14 February 1779.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"elanka\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"elanka\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

However, 26th<\/sup>\u00a0January has a greater significance.\u00a0\u00a0The First Fleet<\/strong>\u00a0which was comprised of 11 ships and its<\/span><\/p>\n

\"elanka\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

human cargo (which is estimated to be 2000 convicts on board), arrived in Australian waters on 18th<\/sup>\u00a0January 1788.\u00a0 One ship entered Botany Bay but found it to be sadly wanting in many respects.\u00a0 The Fleet then moved North in search of a better location and\u00a0entered Sydney Cove on 26th<\/sup>\u00a0January 1788.<\/strong>\u00a0 Here, Commander of the First Fleet Arthur Phillip found conditions good\u00a0and raised the Flag to signify occupation or settlement, depending on one\u2019s subjective point of view.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As a matter of interest may I observe that there was confrontation with the aboriginal occupants of the area and at one point Governor Arthur Phillip, was speared in the shoulder by an aboriginal.\u00a0 Despite this, to his credit Arthur Phillip did not wage an all-out war of attrition on the local inhabitants but stuck to his brief of setting up a Colony of convict settlers.\u00a0\u00a0On reaching Sydney Arthur Phillip was estimated to have about 750 convict settlers to deploy as many had perished on the voyage from England to Sydney.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The second observation made in the email under consideration, refers to,\u00a0\u2018The 26<\/em><\/strong>th<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of Juauary 1949 is the day Australians received their independence from British Rule\u2019.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This statement could be misleading<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0The Australian Colonies attained Nation Status on January 1st<\/sup>, 1901.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>On that date the six Australian Colonies came together to establish\u00a0the independent Nation of the Commonwealth<\/em>\u00a0of Australia.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>In fact, in its first year the Commonwealth Parliament passed two significant bits of legislation regarding entry to Australia.\u00a0 These 2 Acts were the\u00a0Immigration Restriction Act 1901<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0The Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901.<\/strong>\u00a0These two Acts were the cornerstones of the so-called\u00a0White Australia Policy. (see below)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Although an Independent Nation from 1901, there was no clear policy about the issue of Australian Passports.\u00a0 In the first two decades post 1901, Australia issued\u00a0\u2018travel documents\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0but used the authority of Britain and its King (The Crown).\u00a0 In the early years after Australian independence the King of England was king of Australia (as it is to this day) and the Commonwealth of Australia depended on England for foreign relations as well as for defence matters.\u00a0 On the question of issuing Australian Passports there was tinkering at the edges of this issue in 1925, 1930 and 1936, but\u00a0no clear policy emerger until the passing of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948.<\/strong>\u00a0This Act as finally adopted, opened citizenship to all persons born in Australia, Naturalised or Registered as a citizen.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nationality and Citizenship Act was proclaimed as law on\u00a026<\/em><\/strong>th<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0January 1949<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 The 26th<\/sup>\u00a0of January was chosen as the date of proclamation of the Act as this date\u00a0was already celebrated as Australia Day<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0In Parliament Immigration Minister Arthur Caldwell said, \u2018When The Nationality and Citizenship Bill becomes law it will be proclaimed on Australia Day 26\/01\/1949.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On the reference in the email to\u00a0British Subjects<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0the following information may be relevant.<\/span><\/p>\n

The question of who a British Subject is, is a complicated one.\u00a0 The idea originates from the concept that all persons within the boundaries of the British Empire owe allegiance to the British King and in return are assured of his protection. At the time, an individual could be a citizen of any one of the countries within the Empire and be a British Subject. For those who wished to travel (of which there were only a small number up to the 1930s), it was a great advantage to travel under the Seal of the British Crown. With the end of the Second World War and the impending dissolution of the British Empire a conference was held in 1947 to devise a scheme under which both citizenship and British Subject status could be combined.\u00a0 And so, for some years after this an individual could be a citizen of independent Ceylon, India, Union of South Africa, Australia or some other British Commonwealth Nation and also be a British Subject.\u00a0 Some of the Irish objected to being categorised as British Subjects and opted out of British Subject status. Finally,\u00a0this convoluted concept was abandoned in the 1970s.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I trust you find the above of interest in clarifying some of the history behind Australia Day.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have written several Articles for the Ceylon Society of Australia, based in Sydney and they have been published in the Society\u2019s Journal titled, \u2018The Ceylankan\u2019<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the Ceylankan is not a digital publication (although this may change in the future).\u00a0 Michael Roberts has kindly included two of my Articles on the topic of migration and entry to Australia on his Thupphai Blog.\u00a0 If interested search on his Blog for:-<\/span><\/p>\n

1 The White Australia Policy, Ceylonese Burghers and Alice Nona.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 2 From Ceylon to Australia: Migrant Journeys,1860 to 2010<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

FYI = I have attached a copy of an approved Citizenship application that takes us back to 1958.\u00a0 It is of a person not known to me.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0******\u00a0 &&&&&&&&&&&\u00a0 ************<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

SOME PERTINENT REFERENCES\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n