www.monumentaustralia.org.au

Landing of Captain Arthur PhillipPrint Page Print this page

Captain Phillip Plaque 2 : March 2014
Captain Phillip Plaque 2 : March 2014

Photographs supplied by Peter F Williams

The monument commemorates the place where Captain Arthur Phillip first set foot on Australian soil.

Captain Arthur Phillip Royal Navy was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the site which is now the city of Sydney.

In October 1786, Phillip was appointed captain of HMS Sirius and named Governor-designate of New South Wales, the proposed British penal colony on the east coast of Australia, by Lord Sydney, the Home Secretary. The First Fleet, of 11 ships, set sail on 13 May 1787. The leading ship, HMS Supply reached Botany Bay setting up camp on the Kurnell Peninsula, on 18 January 1788. Phillip soon decided that this site, chosen on the recommendation of Sir Joseph Banks, who had accompanied James Cook in 1770, was not suitable, since it had poor soil, no secure anchorage and no reliable water source. After some exploration Phillip decided to go on to Port Jackson, and on 26 January the marines and convicts were landed at Sydney Cove, which Phillip named after Lord Sydney.

Location

Address:Kooringal Avenue, Yarra Bay Bicentennial Park , Phillip Bay, 2036
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -33.979812
Long: 151.230542
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Landscape
Sub-Theme:Settlement

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Wednesday 18th January, 1956
Front Inscription

IN - THIS VICINITY, ABOUT 3 P.M. ON 18TH 
JANUARY 1788, GOVERNOR PHILLIP 
FIRST SET FOOT ON AUSTRALIAN SOIL.
HE WAS SEEKING FRESH WATER.  ON HIS 
APPROACH, A GROUP OF NATIVES, WHO 
HAD WATCHED HIM LAND, WITHDREW 
INTO THE BUSH. LATER THAT AFTERNOON 
SOME OF THEM DIRECTED HIM TO A 
STREAM NEARBY. (BUNNERONG CREEK?)
                   R.A.H.S.
 

Back Inscription

THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED BY 
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES 
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
SIR JOHN NORTHCOTT K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., C.B. 
ON 18TH JANUARY 1956

COUNCIL OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF RANDWICK
R.A.POPPLEWELL, MAYOR
        WARD ALDERMAN
NORTH          EAST              SOUTH
(names)          (names)          (names) 
WEST                                  CENTRAL
(names)                                (names)

 

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au