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'I do not hesitate to declare that the natives of New South Wales possess a considerable portion of that acumen, or sharpness of intellect, which bespeaks genius.'
In 1788 Watkin Tench stepped ashore at Botany Bay with the First Fleet. This curious young captain of the marines was an effortless storyteller. His account of the infant colony, introduced by Tim Flannery, is the first classic of Australian literature.
On leaving England, Tench was commissioned by the publisher John Debrett of Piccadilly to write a book about his adventures. In fact he wrote two. A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay was published in 1789, and A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson in 1793. They are both included in full in this edition of 1788 .
Watkin Tench was born around 1758 in Chester, England. He joined the marine corps in 1776 and served in the American War of Independence before sailing to Botany Bay with the First Fleet. Tench returned to England in 1792. He stayed with the marine corps before retiring as a lieutenant-general in 1821. Tench died in 1833.
Tim Flannery is a bestselling writer, scientist and explorer. He has published over a dozen books, most recently Among the Adventures in the Pacific . In 2011 he was appointed chief commissioner of the Australian Climate Commission.
'Tench will always remain the classic contemporary witness of our beginnings.' Les Murray
'Don't for a minute believe that Australian history is a bore. This is a marvellous read.' Sun Herald
'Tench's work is a stunning time he takes us back to the
promise and disaster at the beginning of our nation's story; and we
stand at the edge of history, laughing and crying.' Chloe Hooper
'Tench is a most charming man of the Enlightenment, and his journal is
similarly by far the most disarming and enthusiastic of the First Fleet
journals. Where others damned the place, he showed curiosity.' Thomas
Keneally
'I fell in love with Tench, as most of his readers do. He is a Boswell
on the curious, ardent, gleefully self-mocking. He didn't fit my
image of a stiff-lipped British imperialist at all.' Inga Clendinnen
'His record sparkles with precision, each word so apt.' Marcia Langton
In 1788 Watkin Tench stepped ashore at Botany Bay with the First Fleet. This curious young captain of the marines was an effortless storyteller. His account of the infant colony, introduced by Tim Flannery, is the first classic of Australian literature.
On leaving England, Tench was commissioned by the publisher John Debrett of Piccadilly to write a book about his adventures. In fact he wrote two. A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay was published in 1789, and A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson in 1793. They are both included in full in this edition of 1788 .
Watkin Tench was born around 1758 in Chester, England. He joined the marine corps in 1776 and served in the American War of Independence before sailing to Botany Bay with the First Fleet. Tench returned to England in 1792. He stayed with the marine corps before retiring as a lieutenant-general in 1821. Tench died in 1833.
Tim Flannery is a bestselling writer, scientist and explorer. He has published over a dozen books, most recently Among the Adventures in the Pacific . In 2011 he was appointed chief commissioner of the Australian Climate Commission.
'Tench will always remain the classic contemporary witness of our beginnings.' Les Murray
'Don't for a minute believe that Australian history is a bore. This is a marvellous read.' Sun Herald
'Tench's work is a stunning time he takes us back to the
promise and disaster at the beginning of our nation's story; and we
stand at the edge of history, laughing and crying.' Chloe Hooper
'Tench is a most charming man of the Enlightenment, and his journal is
similarly by far the most disarming and enthusiastic of the First Fleet
journals. Where others damned the place, he showed curiosity.' Thomas
Keneally
'I fell in love with Tench, as most of his readers do. He is a Boswell
on the curious, ardent, gleefully self-mocking. He didn't fit my
image of a stiff-lipped British imperialist at all.' Inga Clendinnen
'His record sparkles with precision, each word so apt.' Marcia Langton
402 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1793
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363 people want to read
About the author
Watkin Tench
30 books2 followersLieutenant-General Watkin Tench was a British Marine officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first settlement in Australia in 1788. His two accounts, "Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay" and "Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson" provide a fascinating and entertaining account of the arrival and first four years of the colony. Little is known of Tench apart from what he writes in his three books and his service record.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 4, 2023
‘Man is ever an object of interest, curiosity and reflection.’
Watkin Tench (1758? -1833) was born in Chester, England, the son of Fisher Tench and his wife Margaritta. On 25 January 1776, Watkin Tench entered the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. He saw service during the war for American independence: serving off the American coast first in the ‘Nonsuch’ and then as first lieutenant in the ‘Mermaid’ When the ’Mermaid’ was driven ashore he spent three months as a prisoner of war in Maryland, and then served in the ‘Unicorn’ between October 1778 and March 1779. Watkin Tench was promoted captain-lieutenant in September 1782, but, with the war over, was placed on half pay in May 1786. Later that year he volunteered for a three-year tour of service to Botany Bay, as part of the expedition to establish a convict settlement there. He sailed in the ‘Charlotte’ on 13 May 1787 as one of the two captain-lieutenants of the marine detachment under Major Robert Ross, arriving in Botany Bay on 20 January 1788.
‘Ithaca itself was scarcely more longed for by Ulysses than Botany Bay by the adventurers who had traversed so many thousand miles to take possession of it.’
In early 1787, a London publishing house (John Debrett of Picadilly) commissioned Watkin Tench to write an account of both the journey to New Holland and its settlement. Watkin Tench’s tour of service lasted almost five years, and during this time he wrote two books about the early settlement. Those books: ‘A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay’ (1789) and ‘An Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson’ (1793) were bestsellers when first published and are both included in this book.
‘Extent of empire demands grandeur of design.’
Tench is easy to read, and his books provide a fascinating portrait of the first four years of early European settlement in Australia. There’s plenty of drama: a group of escaped convicts seek to travel to China, and many of the encounters with the Aborigines (called Indians by Tench) are tense. For much of the period Tench was in residence, the small colony has periods of uncertainty when food runs short, and supplies are difficult to obtain.
‘If a lucky man who had knocked down a dinner with his gun, or caught a fish by angling from the rocks, invited a neighbour to dine with him, the invitation always ran, 'bring your own bread.' Even at the governor's table this custom was constantly observed. Every man when he sat down pulled his bread out of his pocket and laid it by his plate.’
‘On the policy of settling, with convicts only, a country at once so remote and extensive, I shall offer no remarks.’
Tench writes of Arthur Phillip (the founder of the settlement, and first Governor of New South Wales), and Bennelong (one of the most notable of the Aboriginal people living in the area of the early European settlement).
‘The tranquil indifference and unenquiring eye with which they surveyed our works of art have often, in my hearing, been stigmatised as proofs of stupidity and want of reflection. But surely we should distinguish between ignorance and defect of understanding. The truth was, they often neither comprehended the design nor conceived the utility of such works, but on subjects in any degree familiarised to their ideas, they generally testified not only acuteness of discernment but a large portion of good sense.’
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Australia’s early European settlement. Watkin Tench's account is both interesting and accessible. He writes of the voyage out from England, with stops in both Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro, and of a range of topics including the enforcement of law and order, of agriculture, the fauna and the weather.
‘Here terminates my subject.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Watkin Tench (1758? -1833) was born in Chester, England, the son of Fisher Tench and his wife Margaritta. On 25 January 1776, Watkin Tench entered the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. He saw service during the war for American independence: serving off the American coast first in the ‘Nonsuch’ and then as first lieutenant in the ‘Mermaid’ When the ’Mermaid’ was driven ashore he spent three months as a prisoner of war in Maryland, and then served in the ‘Unicorn’ between October 1778 and March 1779. Watkin Tench was promoted captain-lieutenant in September 1782, but, with the war over, was placed on half pay in May 1786. Later that year he volunteered for a three-year tour of service to Botany Bay, as part of the expedition to establish a convict settlement there. He sailed in the ‘Charlotte’ on 13 May 1787 as one of the two captain-lieutenants of the marine detachment under Major Robert Ross, arriving in Botany Bay on 20 January 1788.
‘Ithaca itself was scarcely more longed for by Ulysses than Botany Bay by the adventurers who had traversed so many thousand miles to take possession of it.’
In early 1787, a London publishing house (John Debrett of Picadilly) commissioned Watkin Tench to write an account of both the journey to New Holland and its settlement. Watkin Tench’s tour of service lasted almost five years, and during this time he wrote two books about the early settlement. Those books: ‘A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay’ (1789) and ‘An Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson’ (1793) were bestsellers when first published and are both included in this book.
‘Extent of empire demands grandeur of design.’
Tench is easy to read, and his books provide a fascinating portrait of the first four years of early European settlement in Australia. There’s plenty of drama: a group of escaped convicts seek to travel to China, and many of the encounters with the Aborigines (called Indians by Tench) are tense. For much of the period Tench was in residence, the small colony has periods of uncertainty when food runs short, and supplies are difficult to obtain.
‘If a lucky man who had knocked down a dinner with his gun, or caught a fish by angling from the rocks, invited a neighbour to dine with him, the invitation always ran, 'bring your own bread.' Even at the governor's table this custom was constantly observed. Every man when he sat down pulled his bread out of his pocket and laid it by his plate.’
‘On the policy of settling, with convicts only, a country at once so remote and extensive, I shall offer no remarks.’
Tench writes of Arthur Phillip (the founder of the settlement, and first Governor of New South Wales), and Bennelong (one of the most notable of the Aboriginal people living in the area of the early European settlement).
‘The tranquil indifference and unenquiring eye with which they surveyed our works of art have often, in my hearing, been stigmatised as proofs of stupidity and want of reflection. But surely we should distinguish between ignorance and defect of understanding. The truth was, they often neither comprehended the design nor conceived the utility of such works, but on subjects in any degree familiarised to their ideas, they generally testified not only acuteness of discernment but a large portion of good sense.’
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Australia’s early European settlement. Watkin Tench's account is both interesting and accessible. He writes of the voyage out from England, with stops in both Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro, and of a range of topics including the enforcement of law and order, of agriculture, the fauna and the weather.
‘Here terminates my subject.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 21, 2013
When recently in Australia I was delighted to find that this book is widely available, written by a young adventurer from my home town of Chester, who is rightly venerated in the antipodes. This is a fascinating journal by a humane British marine officer giving his detailed view of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney (then Port Jackson). Ahead of the other more formal accounts sent home to Britain, this is the one that fired up the popular imagination and was read across Europe. By today's standard the writing is highly formal, Tench describes the hunger and disappointments found in the colony in the voice of 18th century 'civility'. Influenced by Rousseau, he was sympathetic to the aborigines and so we find accounts of tragic Bennelong and Barangaroo, amongst others, influencing later work such as Kate Grenville's The Lieutenant.
This is a thoughtful and factual account by a young man who is percieved to be a key figure in Australian history. So what about a statue of Watkins in Chester, or at least blue plaque?
This is a thoughtful and factual account by a young man who is percieved to be a key figure in Australian history. So what about a statue of Watkins in Chester, or at least blue plaque?
December 1, 2013
This is one of those books it is silly to award stars to, as if it can be judged upon literary merit or enjoyment. Still, I shall say upfront that I expected it to be dry, and it was in fact, remarkably witty and occasionally sarcastic. It is disconcerting, actually, how modern and urbane and smart Tench sounds while simultaneously being so freaking arrogant, ignorant and constrained in his understanding of what, in fact, Australia was, and what the British were doing to it.
The thing about worldviews is that we all have one, and it is impossible to recognise our own. So it is impossible to read this book, and not wonder at the various things the invaders seem to have willfully ignored. but the answer of course is that it simply didn't occur to them. For example, their acute awareness that they were fishing the harbour to diminishing returns, without realising this might affect the Eora. Tench is not unsympathetic, in that he views the indigenous people with compassion and a lack of wont in cruelty, but it is exactly that quality which makes his accounts of acts such as the kidnapping of Arabanoo, told like a cheerful boys on adventure story about a good prank pulled on a poor native, just so horrifying. The underlying assumption, that everything the British bring is better than anything they could possibly find, that this country works just like their own, and that the Australians they found were just like them, but poorer and uneducated into stupidity, mean they blunder into ruin.
The book's sheer honesty makes it a compelling read. And the plunge into the unknown, has of course, a certain attractive quality. The social tensions and tumult, this strange close knit community of convicts and soldiers, marooned in a country they understood not at all, but ignorant of their own ignorance, is a tale to tear through.
The thing about worldviews is that we all have one, and it is impossible to recognise our own. So it is impossible to read this book, and not wonder at the various things the invaders seem to have willfully ignored. but the answer of course is that it simply didn't occur to them. For example, their acute awareness that they were fishing the harbour to diminishing returns, without realising this might affect the Eora. Tench is not unsympathetic, in that he views the indigenous people with compassion and a lack of wont in cruelty, but it is exactly that quality which makes his accounts of acts such as the kidnapping of Arabanoo, told like a cheerful boys on adventure story about a good prank pulled on a poor native, just so horrifying. The underlying assumption, that everything the British bring is better than anything they could possibly find, that this country works just like their own, and that the Australians they found were just like them, but poorer and uneducated into stupidity, mean they blunder into ruin.
The book's sheer honesty makes it a compelling read. And the plunge into the unknown, has of course, a certain attractive quality. The social tensions and tumult, this strange close knit community of convicts and soldiers, marooned in a country they understood not at all, but ignorant of their own ignorance, is a tale to tear through.
August 9, 2017
It is a rare opportunity to see the opening and colonisation of the country of your birth through the eyes of one actually making the history, but this is such a book. Watkin Tench published two short books in rapid succession about the colonisation of Australia in 1788. Tench was one of the lieutenants of the marines that escorted the 1st Fleet of convicts to Australia. Tench made a smart move – it was between wars and half-pay and no employment was a dull state of affairs for a young man.
Tench would stay on in Sydney till December 1791 when he returned to England. These were most probably the most trying of years: repeated crop failures, building infrastructure with unknown local materials, and by people unaccustomed to such activities or lacking skills. Food rationing became severe, and ships were sent to Cape Town or to Timor to get fresh supplies – and always knowing that ship might be sunk during the voyages.
Tench has a lively eye and ear for what might be interesting to people back home. He was commissioned by Debrett’s (who knew they published books on other subjects beside Peerages) to write an account. Tench’s would be in fact, the 1st published account available to the reading public. He describes the 1st sighting of a dingo by an European, as well as the common fish, reptiles, birds and some plants of the Sydney Basin. Tench was also involved in some of the early exploratory parties – particularly those from Parramatta to the Nepean River (probably around the Penrith area), as well as those to the north-west of Parramatta towards & meeting the river at Richmond.
Tench was an empathetic man towards the convicts and towards the indigenous peoples. He is uncomfortable about floggings, praises many who get their Ticket of Leave and attempt settlement, but is contemptuous of those that escape or are not contrite when facing capital punishment. As the two narratives progress, his attitude towards the steadily declining, and thus aggressive locals changes from European indifference and novelty to one of appreciating and hoping to learn about, the local culture and customs.
These two books are products of their time, and they show how writing styles have changed over the last 200 years. It is obvious, that we write more colloquially than we did in the 18th century. Tench’s style is flowery and verbose and quite unnatural. The quoting of the dying letter of a condemned convict to his mother is hilarious. Although beautifully written, I would doubt the mother would have understand half of what had been put down. There is also a small insight into comparative medicine. Within 18 months, the local indigenous peoples experienced a small pox plague that causes the local population to crash. He proposes various ideas on how this epidemic arose: introduction from another tribe, a plague caused within the country; but he never supposes the one that we can recognise what actually happened: namely, that one of the convicts was an asymptomatic carrier.
Flannery writes a wonderful introduction on Tench’s writings, his biography, and putting his works into context. Throughout the text he has footnotes to help the reader; only one is incorrect. Tench likes one of the Port Jackson plants to May (a member of the apple and rose family) in both looks and scent. Flannery attributes it to a local melaleuca, but the plant is almost certainly a tea tree (Leptospermum). It also has flowers that can be likened to cherry or apple blossom.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I have to say, it was the wrong choice. The language and sentence structure was way to complex and flowery to be easily listened to, and I regularly had to replace paragraphs to appreciate what Tench was saying. Having said this, I would be glad to reread this as a book – one to read slowly and to savour the excitement and history being made through Tench’s eyes.
Tench would stay on in Sydney till December 1791 when he returned to England. These were most probably the most trying of years: repeated crop failures, building infrastructure with unknown local materials, and by people unaccustomed to such activities or lacking skills. Food rationing became severe, and ships were sent to Cape Town or to Timor to get fresh supplies – and always knowing that ship might be sunk during the voyages.
Tench has a lively eye and ear for what might be interesting to people back home. He was commissioned by Debrett’s (who knew they published books on other subjects beside Peerages) to write an account. Tench’s would be in fact, the 1st published account available to the reading public. He describes the 1st sighting of a dingo by an European, as well as the common fish, reptiles, birds and some plants of the Sydney Basin. Tench was also involved in some of the early exploratory parties – particularly those from Parramatta to the Nepean River (probably around the Penrith area), as well as those to the north-west of Parramatta towards & meeting the river at Richmond.
Tench was an empathetic man towards the convicts and towards the indigenous peoples. He is uncomfortable about floggings, praises many who get their Ticket of Leave and attempt settlement, but is contemptuous of those that escape or are not contrite when facing capital punishment. As the two narratives progress, his attitude towards the steadily declining, and thus aggressive locals changes from European indifference and novelty to one of appreciating and hoping to learn about, the local culture and customs.
These two books are products of their time, and they show how writing styles have changed over the last 200 years. It is obvious, that we write more colloquially than we did in the 18th century. Tench’s style is flowery and verbose and quite unnatural. The quoting of the dying letter of a condemned convict to his mother is hilarious. Although beautifully written, I would doubt the mother would have understand half of what had been put down. There is also a small insight into comparative medicine. Within 18 months, the local indigenous peoples experienced a small pox plague that causes the local population to crash. He proposes various ideas on how this epidemic arose: introduction from another tribe, a plague caused within the country; but he never supposes the one that we can recognise what actually happened: namely, that one of the convicts was an asymptomatic carrier.
Flannery writes a wonderful introduction on Tench’s writings, his biography, and putting his works into context. Throughout the text he has footnotes to help the reader; only one is incorrect. Tench likes one of the Port Jackson plants to May (a member of the apple and rose family) in both looks and scent. Flannery attributes it to a local melaleuca, but the plant is almost certainly a tea tree (Leptospermum). It also has flowers that can be likened to cherry or apple blossom.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I have to say, it was the wrong choice. The language and sentence structure was way to complex and flowery to be easily listened to, and I regularly had to replace paragraphs to appreciate what Tench was saying. Having said this, I would be glad to reread this as a book – one to read slowly and to savour the excitement and history being made through Tench’s eyes.
September 3, 2020
Watkin Tench was a Marine who travelled to the new colony of New South Wales with the First Fleet in 1788. He remained in the colony for three years. During that time, he kept detailed diaries which he published into two books on his return to England.
This is an interesting first-hand account of the colonisation of Australia by white settlers. His writing mainly concerns his day-to-day duties including some parties of exploration beyond Rose Hill (now Parramatta), but he also gives some analysis of the flora and fauna and shows some compassion to the indigenous people, coloured by the beliefs of his time.
Having just read Kate Grenville's "A Room Made of Leaves" where he is mentioned frequently as visiting Elizabeth Macarthur's ''soirees'', I was hoping to get further insight into Mrs Macarthur, but she is only mentioned once, in passing.
I found it quite readable and recommend it to anyone interested in the early settlement of Australia.
This is an interesting first-hand account of the colonisation of Australia by white settlers. His writing mainly concerns his day-to-day duties including some parties of exploration beyond Rose Hill (now Parramatta), but he also gives some analysis of the flora and fauna and shows some compassion to the indigenous people, coloured by the beliefs of his time.
Having just read Kate Grenville's "A Room Made of Leaves" where he is mentioned frequently as visiting Elizabeth Macarthur's ''soirees'', I was hoping to get further insight into Mrs Macarthur, but she is only mentioned once, in passing.
I found it quite readable and recommend it to anyone interested in the early settlement of Australia.
September 14, 2017
I guess this wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. I didn't think so personally. All the same, there is definitely merit in this book, and someone more inclined towards its subject may well find it fascinating.
February 7, 2017
It's hard to rate this book with stars because I think it is too important for such an arbitrary and perfunctory judgement. Watkins Tench showed remarkable tenacity, courage, insight and compassion in his exploration of and reflections on a vastly different and distant land and culture. A contemporary parallel might be the diary of an explorer to Mars. It's hard to imagine the surprise and wonder at the sight of a kangaroo or a eucalyptus tree, such common occurrences, yet so immediately described.
Most important for our modern world is his reflections on the plight of a 'criminal class' outcast on the premise that crime was an occupation on a par with plumbing, part of a genetic code, with no remedy apart from ostracism from 'decent' society. Yet from Watkins observations, and as history would play out, when provided with opportunity, freedom from want and penury, a chance for a better life, lives and communities flourished. As Watkins said 'let us always keep in view, that punishment, when not directed to promote reformation, is arbitrary and unauthorised'.
Let these wise observations serve to inform and enrich us in light of the world wide plight of refugees and those who suffer from the effects of poverty and lack of opportunity.
How lucky we are, how well we have profited from such hardships, let's never take it for granted or fail to share our good fortune with others.
Most important for our modern world is his reflections on the plight of a 'criminal class' outcast on the premise that crime was an occupation on a par with plumbing, part of a genetic code, with no remedy apart from ostracism from 'decent' society. Yet from Watkins observations, and as history would play out, when provided with opportunity, freedom from want and penury, a chance for a better life, lives and communities flourished. As Watkins said 'let us always keep in view, that punishment, when not directed to promote reformation, is arbitrary and unauthorised'.
Let these wise observations serve to inform and enrich us in light of the world wide plight of refugees and those who suffer from the effects of poverty and lack of opportunity.
How lucky we are, how well we have profited from such hardships, let's never take it for granted or fail to share our good fortune with others.
February 15, 2016
A military man commissioned to "report back" to the British public the conditions and experiences in a new land, Watkin Tench delivers a humble and fair account of the intrepid voyage undertaken by the first fleet of English settlers and convicts to the east coast of New Holland (Australia).
His comprehensive detailing of all facets of life on the settlement in those early years, including seemingly unbiased and unadulterated experiences with Indigenous Australians, sheds light on the complexities and hardships of colonisation with honesty and humility.
It's worth trudging through the sometimes cumbersome and tediously formal language to discover the nuggets of insight along the way.
His comprehensive detailing of all facets of life on the settlement in those early years, including seemingly unbiased and unadulterated experiences with Indigenous Australians, sheds light on the complexities and hardships of colonisation with honesty and humility.
It's worth trudging through the sometimes cumbersome and tediously formal language to discover the nuggets of insight along the way.
February 13, 2017
I really loved this book! I found it astonishing to read of the establishment of the colony here at Sydney, as it happened. The author left after 3 years here, not knowing if the colony would survive. And, here we are, in modern Australia.
September 5, 2019
Reading narrative source material of the eighteenth century about British settlement of New South Wales is engaging and rich.
Watkin Tench’s detailed account is easy to read, fascinating and full of detail.
It contains many accounts of incidents, his perspective of the early days of the colony and Tench’s own attitudes to what he observes.
His descriptions of encounters with the Aboriginal People around Port Jackson and beyond is fascinating. I found reading his first hand accounts helped me understand the 18th Century educated view that set in motion decisions that still resonate today.
The writing shows that Tench is clearly a compassionate, enlightened man. He is also a military man and took part in troubling and brutal acts.
Tench is also writing for his audience and presents a form of travel log without presenting confronting or troubling judgements.
1788 is an accessible piece of writing, despite it’s verbose and indirect style.
It is a significant historical source, additionally it is also a “must read” complement to contemporary historical fiction such as Kate Grenville’s, “The Lieutenant”.
Watkin Tench’s detailed account is easy to read, fascinating and full of detail.
It contains many accounts of incidents, his perspective of the early days of the colony and Tench’s own attitudes to what he observes.
His descriptions of encounters with the Aboriginal People around Port Jackson and beyond is fascinating. I found reading his first hand accounts helped me understand the 18th Century educated view that set in motion decisions that still resonate today.
The writing shows that Tench is clearly a compassionate, enlightened man. He is also a military man and took part in troubling and brutal acts.
Tench is also writing for his audience and presents a form of travel log without presenting confronting or troubling judgements.
1788 is an accessible piece of writing, despite it’s verbose and indirect style.
It is a significant historical source, additionally it is also a “must read” complement to contemporary historical fiction such as Kate Grenville’s, “The Lieutenant”.
May 6, 2024
What an extraordinary read. It is baffling that this text isn’t compulsory reading at all Australian high schools. The author is clearly an erudite person, with strikingly modern sensitivities in a number of areas.
As a relatively new resident of Sydney, there is a haunting sense of the presence of these first settlers, as WT describes the early exploratory trips to places that are now suburbs.
His innate respect for the traditional owners of the land is clear, even if his understanding of their language and culture is rudimentary. Anyone spouting the nonsense that is ‘terra nullius’ needs to read this book closely. Not only are the indigenous residents constantly present in his narrative, their ubiquity is obvious, their use of the land frequently describes, and their nationhood directly referenced - indeed, he uses the word ‘nation’ on more than one occasion to describe the native inhabitants of Syndey Cove.
Of course, one of the striking challenges in the book is the juxtaposition of this modern-thinking man’s views on issues such as the welfare of the convicts and the merits of the indigenous people he meets, with the callous disregard he shows to the hangings of white rule breakers and the ongoing dispossession of the Gadigal people’s land (he calls them ‘Cadigal’).
It must have been obvious that these people were numerous and were obtaining their living from the lands that the white settlers were clearing. The author’s attempts to explain the impact of smallpox on the local people are striking - he clearly understands that the whites are the only sensible vector, and yet he reaches for various alternative explanations for what must have been a hideous episode - throughout the rest of the story he talks about indigenous people bearing smallpox scars. There are also several references to the use of local plants for healing purposes.
It is also clear that the indigenous residents did not quietly cede their land to the invaders. There are numerous references throughout the book to conflict with the natives, and it is striking in various sections how anxious the white settlers were to reach some form of detente with the people whose land they were occupying. It is not a coincidence that this was most clearly a priority when the new colony was starving to death on land that had clearly sustained a large population of indigenous people.
There is a gruesome episode in the story that bears mentioning. The spearing of one of the sergeants lead to his death from his injuries, but Tench goes to some trouble to note the sense, if not the details, of his deathbed confession. The man was not well liked by his peers, and it seems obvious from the way his confession was described that he was interfering with the natives in some manner, most likely sexually, given the prurient way it is described. Tench clearly does not mourn his passing, but the episode emphasizes the proximity of the whites to the native population, and the willingness of the indigenous people to mete their own forms of justice in instances where they felt justified. There are numerous other examples of both free and convict colonizers stealing from and interfering with the indigenous community, despite the rules against this.
I am writing this review on a plane from Cairns to Sydney, looking down from a clear blue sky onto thousands of hectares of green country, neatly parceled up into unnatural straight line blocks. It is hard to understand how, in the face of evidence such as the contemporaneous diary of Watkin Tench, Australia has allowed this myth of a wide uninhabited land to pervade the national mythology.
Tench was not a saint. He was clearly a product of his time. But his story is incredibly important for the people of the nation that he helped found. And for the people of the nations that he helped destroy. I hope that his diary becomes more widely read in Australia. And I am glad that he was able to return to his own native land and live out what seems to have been a fulfilling retirement.
As a relatively new resident of Sydney, there is a haunting sense of the presence of these first settlers, as WT describes the early exploratory trips to places that are now suburbs.
His innate respect for the traditional owners of the land is clear, even if his understanding of their language and culture is rudimentary. Anyone spouting the nonsense that is ‘terra nullius’ needs to read this book closely. Not only are the indigenous residents constantly present in his narrative, their ubiquity is obvious, their use of the land frequently describes, and their nationhood directly referenced - indeed, he uses the word ‘nation’ on more than one occasion to describe the native inhabitants of Syndey Cove.
Of course, one of the striking challenges in the book is the juxtaposition of this modern-thinking man’s views on issues such as the welfare of the convicts and the merits of the indigenous people he meets, with the callous disregard he shows to the hangings of white rule breakers and the ongoing dispossession of the Gadigal people’s land (he calls them ‘Cadigal’).
It must have been obvious that these people were numerous and were obtaining their living from the lands that the white settlers were clearing. The author’s attempts to explain the impact of smallpox on the local people are striking - he clearly understands that the whites are the only sensible vector, and yet he reaches for various alternative explanations for what must have been a hideous episode - throughout the rest of the story he talks about indigenous people bearing smallpox scars. There are also several references to the use of local plants for healing purposes.
It is also clear that the indigenous residents did not quietly cede their land to the invaders. There are numerous references throughout the book to conflict with the natives, and it is striking in various sections how anxious the white settlers were to reach some form of detente with the people whose land they were occupying. It is not a coincidence that this was most clearly a priority when the new colony was starving to death on land that had clearly sustained a large population of indigenous people.
There is a gruesome episode in the story that bears mentioning. The spearing of one of the sergeants lead to his death from his injuries, but Tench goes to some trouble to note the sense, if not the details, of his deathbed confession. The man was not well liked by his peers, and it seems obvious from the way his confession was described that he was interfering with the natives in some manner, most likely sexually, given the prurient way it is described. Tench clearly does not mourn his passing, but the episode emphasizes the proximity of the whites to the native population, and the willingness of the indigenous people to mete their own forms of justice in instances where they felt justified. There are numerous other examples of both free and convict colonizers stealing from and interfering with the indigenous community, despite the rules against this.
I am writing this review on a plane from Cairns to Sydney, looking down from a clear blue sky onto thousands of hectares of green country, neatly parceled up into unnatural straight line blocks. It is hard to understand how, in the face of evidence such as the contemporaneous diary of Watkin Tench, Australia has allowed this myth of a wide uninhabited land to pervade the national mythology.
Tench was not a saint. He was clearly a product of his time. But his story is incredibly important for the people of the nation that he helped found. And for the people of the nations that he helped destroy. I hope that his diary becomes more widely read in Australia. And I am glad that he was able to return to his own native land and live out what seems to have been a fulfilling retirement.
March 23, 2019
Compulsory reading for all Australians
While describing in detail the struggles and risk that the settlers faced in the new colony of Sydney, my main interest in this delightful little book was how Tench humanises both the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia and the new settlers like himself who were open to learning everything about this new world. Tench provides charming and acute observations of many aspects of aboriginal people whom he met and interacted with over time. His archaic language is sometimes difficult to understand today. While noting their capriciousness and lack of interest in many subjects that white people considered important, he had a great respect for the fundamental intelligence and sensitivity of the aboriginal people.
While describing in detail the struggles and risk that the settlers faced in the new colony of Sydney, my main interest in this delightful little book was how Tench humanises both the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia and the new settlers like himself who were open to learning everything about this new world. Tench provides charming and acute observations of many aspects of aboriginal people whom he met and interacted with over time. His archaic language is sometimes difficult to understand today. While noting their capriciousness and lack of interest in many subjects that white people considered important, he had a great respect for the fundamental intelligence and sensitivity of the aboriginal people.
June 6, 2018
Imagine leaving everything you know to join a three-year expedition to an unknown land. You're a lowly member of the team and more illustrious personages have been recruited to write official accounts. But a publisher is interested in the every-man's account of the mission you offer.
This was Watkin Tench, a second lieutenant in the marines bound for New South Wales. The result is an extraordinary account of Australia's first years. The writer is a thinking man, a humane man - a man very out of place in early Australia - and his account is therefore extraordinary, fresh and thoughtful.
This was Watkin Tench, a second lieutenant in the marines bound for New South Wales. The result is an extraordinary account of Australia's first years. The writer is a thinking man, a humane man - a man very out of place in early Australia - and his account is therefore extraordinary, fresh and thoughtful.
June 30, 2017
Fascinating insight into the life of the first settlers. I couldn't make up my mind if Tench was a "sensitive 'old age' guy who wanted to write for an audience or whether he was genuinely curious, happy, open and caring guy. Strange for someone who was an officer in the Marines. I particularly liked his descriptions of the "Indians" and Bennelong. Must read.
February 4, 2026
We are so lucky to have such an approachable primary source from an amazing time in history, unfiltered by modern nonsense. The colony was touch & go early on, I had no idea how close it came to failing. The interactions with the natives was also a highlight, there was a genuine desire to get to know them as people and lift them out of the stone age into the modern world. Peak British Empire.
July 1, 2020
A really thought-provoking book by one of the early explorers/settlers in Australia.
His description of the indigenous Australian culture/lifestyle during that era and also his compassion for the first peoples are astounding and very commendable.
His description of the indigenous Australian culture/lifestyle during that era and also his compassion for the first peoples are astounding and very commendable.
December 15, 2019
A powerful description of life in the 'new' colony & the various attitudes of the invaders to the native inhabitants. A great read!
October 23, 2020
A fascinating and engrossing first-hand account of the settlement of Sydney.
December 14, 2020
never intended for publication like this; a unique insight into the first days of the Australian experiment; observant author saddled with some but not all of the biases of the times
May 16, 2021
Intriguing account providing insights into the first years of European settlement at Sydney Cove.
June 28, 2021
Fascinating read on the voyage of the First First and early settlement. Recommended for those interested in Australian history
May 14, 2015
A fascinating read. If you want a fairly clear window on the first few years of the British settlement that grew into Sydney and Australia, this would be hard to beat.
The expedition from Britain of eleven ships and 1,000 souls to establish a new colony excited great public interest. This First Fleet, as we know it, was going about as far from home as they could get without coming closer again. Publishing houses in England could see the potential and commissioned five members, mostly from the leadership ranks, to write of their experiences. Captain-lieutenant Watkin Tench was the least-ranked among them, but his works – A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay and A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson – outsold everything else.
Tim Flannery has brought the two works together in this book, modernised the punctuation and written a perceptive introduction. Tench’s writing is informative, inviting, colourful without being florid, perceptive, and wry. I often had the sense that I was a ghost in the action, peering past Tench into a world I thought I knew something about. This felt like history in the raw.
Perhaps unintentionally, Tench created an eminently human depiction of life in the early years of the British settlement. He was conscious that his audience might include potential investors and emigrants, so he tried to be realistic and objective in what he wrote, but also wrote about what was happening around him in a most engaging manner. The frailty of the settlement is visible in personal terms – the effect of short rations, the tattered clothing, the boredom and the despair. He included a letter home from one Samuel Peyton (pp 68-69), executed for attempted robbery, as a way of showing that not all the convicts were mean and ignorant.
Tench was curious about the environment and the ‘Indians’, as he called the indigenous people. He describes their mixed responses to the novel objects and manners of the whites – fear (of muskets), amusement (at Tench’s bumbling about in the bush), awe (at a surgical amputation), disgust (at the flogging of a convict who stole natives’ fishing gear) and anger (at attacks on them and their property) – in ways that reminded me sharply that here were two vastly different cultures coming to terms with each other. While the ‘Indians’ he knew come across as distinct individuals, they belonged to a complex social system of which he knew he understood little.
There is condescension in some of his commentary – he was, after all, white, male and part of the greatest empire in the world at the time – but there is also a common humanity. For example,
'The canoes in which they fish are as despicable as their huts, being nothing more than a large piece of bark tied up at both ends with vines. Their dexterous management of them, added to the swiftness with which they paddle and the boldness that leads them several miles in the open sea are, nevertheless, highly deserving of admiration.' (p53)
He was deeply and favourably impressed by the deportment of Baneelon’s wife, Barangaroo on their first meeting. He ascribed to her '… as much feminine innocence, softness and modesty (allowing for inevitable difference of education) as the most finished system could bestow, or the most polished circle produce. So little fitted are we to judge of human nature at once!' (pp 142-143)
I read Tench’s descriptions and narrations concerning the indigenous population with some sorrow: it seemed that, in those early days of contact, the future was not inevitable. There was goodwill on both sides in building trust and bridges. Sometimes, it seemed they were like two groups of children getting to know each other. Maybe I am simply naïve, but Tench did not seem to be writing from an implacable, self-righteous superiority. All the same, he was a military man and did lead punitive sortees against the tribe in the Botany Bay area, both of which failed utterly. By the by, he doesn’t spare himself in the narration of these disasters.
Tench’s writing contains much reflection. His insight into human nature, and sympathy with it, is clear in this comment on the resurgence of petty crime in the colony as rations shortened: '… toil cannot be long supported without adequate refreshment. The first step in every community which wishes to preserve honesty should be to set people above want. The throes of hunger will prove too powerful for integrity to withstand.' (p 183)
In many ways, we live in the same world as he did.
The expedition from Britain of eleven ships and 1,000 souls to establish a new colony excited great public interest. This First Fleet, as we know it, was going about as far from home as they could get without coming closer again. Publishing houses in England could see the potential and commissioned five members, mostly from the leadership ranks, to write of their experiences. Captain-lieutenant Watkin Tench was the least-ranked among them, but his works – A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay and A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson – outsold everything else.
Tim Flannery has brought the two works together in this book, modernised the punctuation and written a perceptive introduction. Tench’s writing is informative, inviting, colourful without being florid, perceptive, and wry. I often had the sense that I was a ghost in the action, peering past Tench into a world I thought I knew something about. This felt like history in the raw.
Perhaps unintentionally, Tench created an eminently human depiction of life in the early years of the British settlement. He was conscious that his audience might include potential investors and emigrants, so he tried to be realistic and objective in what he wrote, but also wrote about what was happening around him in a most engaging manner. The frailty of the settlement is visible in personal terms – the effect of short rations, the tattered clothing, the boredom and the despair. He included a letter home from one Samuel Peyton (pp 68-69), executed for attempted robbery, as a way of showing that not all the convicts were mean and ignorant.
Tench was curious about the environment and the ‘Indians’, as he called the indigenous people. He describes their mixed responses to the novel objects and manners of the whites – fear (of muskets), amusement (at Tench’s bumbling about in the bush), awe (at a surgical amputation), disgust (at the flogging of a convict who stole natives’ fishing gear) and anger (at attacks on them and their property) – in ways that reminded me sharply that here were two vastly different cultures coming to terms with each other. While the ‘Indians’ he knew come across as distinct individuals, they belonged to a complex social system of which he knew he understood little.
There is condescension in some of his commentary – he was, after all, white, male and part of the greatest empire in the world at the time – but there is also a common humanity. For example,
'The canoes in which they fish are as despicable as their huts, being nothing more than a large piece of bark tied up at both ends with vines. Their dexterous management of them, added to the swiftness with which they paddle and the boldness that leads them several miles in the open sea are, nevertheless, highly deserving of admiration.' (p53)
He was deeply and favourably impressed by the deportment of Baneelon’s wife, Barangaroo on their first meeting. He ascribed to her '… as much feminine innocence, softness and modesty (allowing for inevitable difference of education) as the most finished system could bestow, or the most polished circle produce. So little fitted are we to judge of human nature at once!' (pp 142-143)
I read Tench’s descriptions and narrations concerning the indigenous population with some sorrow: it seemed that, in those early days of contact, the future was not inevitable. There was goodwill on both sides in building trust and bridges. Sometimes, it seemed they were like two groups of children getting to know each other. Maybe I am simply naïve, but Tench did not seem to be writing from an implacable, self-righteous superiority. All the same, he was a military man and did lead punitive sortees against the tribe in the Botany Bay area, both of which failed utterly. By the by, he doesn’t spare himself in the narration of these disasters.
Tench’s writing contains much reflection. His insight into human nature, and sympathy with it, is clear in this comment on the resurgence of petty crime in the colony as rations shortened: '… toil cannot be long supported without adequate refreshment. The first step in every community which wishes to preserve honesty should be to set people above want. The throes of hunger will prove too powerful for integrity to withstand.' (p 183)
In many ways, we live in the same world as he did.
July 16, 2024
A wonderful, fascinating and important book that is helped by Tim Flannery's light touches of explanations and definitions. I appreciated Watkin Trench's intelligence, humanity and humility. I wish this book was compulsory reading for Australian school students to give them a better understanding of the early history of this country.
September 12, 2024
This is an interesting book, and I enjoy the first-hand account. My thing is that Tench is not a novelist and while he's done a brilliant job in recording his observations, I lacked the patience to kind of immerse myself in what he was saying. I found the writing style a bit dry, but then I absolutely acknowledge that's my issue and not a criticism of his writing.
3 ration packs out of 5
3 ration packs out of 5
October 15, 2013
This is the story of Australia's settlement by the European First Fleet. It is a first hand account written by a British Marine by the name of Watkin Tench and is a splendid read for anyone who is even remotely interested in Australia's colonial history. Tench was one of a few men given the task of documenting the journey across the ocean as well as how the colony was progressing in its infancy. His writing style is engaging, full of wit, honesty and fervour. Something I certainly did not expect from a historical account written over 200 years ago.
The most interesting part of this book for me was Tench's describing of the Indigenous Australians upon first contact. Initially Tench's low regard for the indigenous peoples who inhabit the land they are occupying leads the reader to think that this is the general consensus among the settlers. However it is Tench's inquisitiveness which seems to set him apart from his fellow colonists. Gradually he discovers a very intricate and beautifully rich culture within a race of intelligent, caring people. That being said, the clash of cultures really says a lot about how fractured the relationship is between Indigenous and non indigenous people even today.
The most interesting part of this book for me was Tench's describing of the Indigenous Australians upon first contact. Initially Tench's low regard for the indigenous peoples who inhabit the land they are occupying leads the reader to think that this is the general consensus among the settlers. However it is Tench's inquisitiveness which seems to set him apart from his fellow colonists. Gradually he discovers a very intricate and beautifully rich culture within a race of intelligent, caring people. That being said, the clash of cultures really says a lot about how fractured the relationship is between Indigenous and non indigenous people even today.
November 24, 2016
This is one of the early primary source narratives of Australia's European colonisation that I've always wanted to read. Watkin Tench's work features heavily in pretty much any Australian history book, so it was great to read it first hand.
There were plenty of people involved in the early colony who went on to publish memoirs of their experiences. But Tench stands out for his keen insight, sensitive approach and natural storytelling ability. A man with liberal sensibilities, his writing is still obviously a product of its time; some of Tench's descriptions and observations expose the worldview of colonisers unable to understand the enormity of what they were doing to an ancient people by dispossessing them of their land.
But this is a historical document, and it can be too easy for us to judge the people of the past from our privileged position of hindsight. As a historical document, this one is excellent. It is little wonder why Tench is the go-to resource for so many Australian historians.
There were plenty of people involved in the early colony who went on to publish memoirs of their experiences. But Tench stands out for his keen insight, sensitive approach and natural storytelling ability. A man with liberal sensibilities, his writing is still obviously a product of its time; some of Tench's descriptions and observations expose the worldview of colonisers unable to understand the enormity of what they were doing to an ancient people by dispossessing them of their land.
But this is a historical document, and it can be too easy for us to judge the people of the past from our privileged position of hindsight. As a historical document, this one is excellent. It is little wonder why Tench is the go-to resource for so many Australian historians.
February 7, 2021
If you are intrigued with the ins and outs of the Australian settlement and love history in general you may like this book. I found it quite boring and had to stop reading before I fell asleep.
September 26, 2019
While this is an interesting journal and commentary on the founding of modern day Australia (from an Englishman's perspective) there were some parts I found hard to read. Obviously written in the 1700's there were a couple of descriptions and interactions with Aboriginal women, one in particular that really disturbed me. The way Aboriginal women have been treated by their own and other men (and some women) breaks my heart. It is unfortunate that the thoughts and experiences of these women will never truly be known. This book is well worth the read though, for those interested in Australian history.
January 26, 2014
As a number a Goodreads folk have commented - It would be silly rating a book like this (so ignore my stars) - I don't know enough to say whether Flannery's edition of this primary source is faithful to the original. Tench certainly had an interest in indigenous Australians, so his observations and views are topical again. He's a readable diarist but never gripping. I celebrated Australia day reading this one on the shores of the Sydney harbor. Happy Invasion day Australia!
March 10, 2013
To point and very factual and informative. Does not provide a lot of emotion but does discuss the struggles that were faced from day to day in a simple and direct manner. Tench has a good command of the English language and was able to convey new descriptions in a timeless prose.
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