Title

Non Commission officers embarking for Botany Bay.

Author

Australian Prints.

Source

[Not applicable]

Type

About the work

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Non Commission officers embarking for Botany Bay.

This is the first print to depict transportation to New South Wales.

“An imaginary First Fleet sets sail in this splendid caricature with the Prince of Whales sitting astride a barrel of wine drinking. On his right is the unpopular whig and radical, Burke, and on his left is another whig, Charles Fox, with his cronies. The Prince is depicted leaving his lover and weeping money-lenders on the shore. Other figures in the caricature are Captain Morris, George Hanger, Sheridan, Erskine, North and Portland. This thinly disguised attack on the Prince of Wales illustrates strong public opinion that he had abused his position and should be the first to suffer under the hash government legislative decision of 14th September 1786 ‘On transportation to Botany Bay’.” (Horden House, Eighteenth-century Australiana, ca. no. 26.)

© Australianprints