The Beginning of the Sea Story of Australia / 1901

This account traces how sailors and naval governors built the early Australian colony, showing that sea exploration, coast surveying, whaling, and runaway seamen shaped settlement and economy. It describes Cook's charting of the eastern shore, the selection of Botany Bay and the relocation to Port Jackson, and the hardships faced by administrators like Phillip as they coped with famine, scarce vessels, and scant supplies, relying on ships such as the Sirius and Supply. Later surveying by naval governors opened shipping routes, revealed dangers like Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef, and underpinned subsequent colonising efforts.