Sydney Cove | State Library of New South Wales

Sydney Cove and the First Fleet

Europeans created maps, sketches and journals to record their impressions of Australia in 1788. What were the main features of the first settlement at Sydney Cove? 

Sydney Cove image links to activity 

Click on the image to explore and hear what people said about Sydney Cove.

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Read more observations from letters and journals written at the time

Link to your decision doc

Write a letter about the living conditions at Sydney Cove. Click on the quill to plan your letter

Map links to activity

Click on the map to view the activity. Use the letters on the Reference list to identify buildings

Explore More 
  • What was the purpose of maps for the First Fleeters? 
  • How did the first European settlers survive the first few years in the Sydney area?
  • Find out about the possible impact of the struggling settlers on the Indigenous people of the Sydney area
Click for overview and learning outcomes

 

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