The late Peter Bellamy wrote this as part of his now legendary folk opera ‘The Transports’ first performed in 1978 with cast that included The Watersons, Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, A. L. Lloyd, June Tabor, Cyril Tawney and Dave Swarbrick. This song was sung by Bert Lloyd, playing Abe Carman, in a story based on two convicts transported to New South Wales with the First Fleet.
The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports.
On 13 May 1787 the Fleet, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, left from Portsmouth, England with over 1400 people (convicts, marines, sailors, civil officers and free settlers). Their journey of 15,000 miles lasted 250 days, before they eventually arrived in Botany Bay, New South Wales.
The convicts had committed a variety of crimes, including theft, perjury, fraud, assault and robbery, for which they had variously been sentenced to death. This was then commuted to penal transportation for 7 years, 14 years, or the term of their natural life.
This penal colony became the first European settlement in Australia.
21 окт 2024
