An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island

This volume opens a vivid window onto the first years of European settlement in Australia, tracing the fledgling colony at Port Jackson and its sister outpost on Norfolk Island. Drawing on official dispatches, it weaves together the day‑to‑day entries of Governor Phillip, Governor King, and Lieutenant Ball, offering listeners a front‑line perspective on the challenges of establishing a new society on an unfamiliar shore.

Beyond administrative reports, the journal records early voyages of the Sirius, the hardships of the ship’s crew, and the first exploratory forays into the surrounding seas. Accompanying the narrative are detailed sketches and maps drawn by the officers themselves, bringing the rugged coastline, nascent settlements, and distant islands to life. Listeners will hear the optimism, the setbacks, and the raw observations that shaped the colony’s earliest chapter, all narrated with the immediacy of contemporary record‑keeping.