Botany Bay

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


lying to the south of theentrance to Port Jackson, New South Wales, the destination ofthe first two shiploads of convicts from England. As a matterof fact, the settlement at Botany Bay never existed. The «First Fleet,» consisting of eleven sail under GovernorPhillip, arrived at Botany Bay on January 18, 1788. TheGovernor finding the place unsuitable for a settlement did notland his people, but on January 25 removed the fleet to PortJackson. On the next day (January 26) he landed his people atSydney Cove, and founded the city of Sydney. The name,however, citing to popular imagination, and was used sometimesas the name of Australia. Seventy years after GovernorPhillip, English schoolboys used «go to Botany Bay» as anequivalent to «go to Bath.» Captain Cook and his naturalists,Banks and Solander, landed at Botany Bay, and the name wasgiven (not at first, when the Bay was marked Stingray, but alittle later) from the large number of plants collected there.

1770. `Captain Cook's Original Journal,' ed. by Wharton, 1893,p. 247:

«6 May. . . .The great quantity of plants Mr. Banks and Dr.Solander found in this place occasioned my giving it the Nameof Botany Bay.»

1789. [Title]:

«The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay,» published in London.

1789. Captain Watkin Tench [Title]: «A Narrative of theExpedition to Botany Bay,» published in London.

1793 G. Barrington [Title]:

«Voyage to Botany Bay,» [published in London.]

This was the popular book on the new settlement, the othersbeing high priced. As Lowndes says, «A work of no authority,but frequently printed.» Barrington, the pickpocket, whosename it bears, had nothing to do with it. It was pirated fromPhillip, Collins, etc. It went through various editions andenlargements to 1810 or later. After 1795 the name was alteredto `Voyage to New South Wales.'

1798. D. Collins, `Account of the English Colony in New SouthWales,' vol. i. p. 502:

«The word `Botany Bay' became a term of reproach that wasindiscriminately cast on every one who resided in New SouthWales.»

1840. Thos. Hood, `Tale of a Trumpet:

«The very next day She heard from her husband at Botany Bay.»

1851. Rev. David Mackenzie, `Ten Years in Australia,' p. 50:

«. . . a pair of artificially black eyes being the Botany Baycoat of arms.»

1852. J. West, `History of Tasmania,' Vol. ii. p. 91:

«Some gentlemen, on a visit to a London theatre, to draw theattention of their friends in an opposite box, called out cooey; a voice in the gallery answered `Botany Bay!'»

1894. `Pall Mall Budget,' May 17, p. 20, col. 1:

«The owner of the ship was an ex-convict in Sydney – – then calledBotany Bay – – who had waxed wealthy on the profits of rum, andthe `shangai-ing' of drugged sailors.»

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

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