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The Convict Colony-About to Starve-2

© John Harman

In October 1790, the 'Supply' returned safely from its voyage to Batavia, and eight weeks later, a Dutch ship, the 'Waaksamheyd', which Lieutenant Ball had hired, arrived with a full cargo of rice flour and salted meat. It turned out though, that much of the food was of such poor quality, as to be inedible, and after only a few months, the colony was once again on the verge of starvation.

Between July and October- 10 more convict ships arrived in Sydney Cove, comprising what we now call the Third Fleet. Conditions during the voyage had been much better than for the Second Fleet, but even so, of the 2,000 convicts taken aboard, 180 failed to survive the voyage, and another 600 were stricken with dysentery soon after arriving. Captain John Hunter wrote that many of them were "so thoroughly exhausted that they expired without a groan, and apparently without any pain".

Governor Phillip now had more mouths to feed than ever, and to avert another famine, hired the transport 'Atlantic' to sail to Calcutta for a cargo of rice. She sailed late in October and with good sailing should return by the following April or May. Immediate solutions were not available in those days. Too bad if you were already ready for dinner.

By early 1792, food stocks were down to dangerous levels. The grain harvest at Parramatta (western Sydney) had been above expectations, but still too small to feed the colony for more than a few weeks. Phillip had no choice but to reduce the ration yet again.

Food shortages lead to desperation, and food stealing became prevalent. Discontent became so close to revolt that the Governor refused close assembly in numbers for any reason. A numbers count revealed that 44 men and women were missing. Most had wandered into the bush, believing that they could find a better place, few were ever found or returned.

In April 1792, with no sign of the 'Atlantic', Phillip reduced the ration again to near starvation level with flour down to 1 ½ pounds, and 2 pounds of maize and some pork. The mortality rate though had reached desperate proportions and a general air of despair was everywhere. "Distressing as it was to see the poor wretches dropping into the grave, Judge Collins wrote, "it was far more afflicting to observe the countenance and emaciated persons of many who remained, soon to follow their miserable companions". "It was not hard labour that destroyed them; it was an entire want of strength in the constitution to receive nourishment, to throw off the debility that pervaded their whole system".

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