A British Penal Colony – The British Occupation

Together with your students, investigate the experiences of individuals and groups involved in the establishment of the first British colony. From the military and civilian officials, to convicts and the First Nations people of the continent, this presentation shows perspectives and interesting information about all stakeholders of the early colony.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons are advised that this teaching resource contains the images and the names of people who have died. 

Teacher notes on teaching about colonisation are available in the dropdown menu as a PDF file. 

 This Presentation Covers the Following Topics:

• The Landing at Botany Bay
• Searching for a More Suitable Location
• The Beginning of the First British Settlement
• First Contact with the Traditional Custodians of the Land
• First Nations People: Bennelong and Pemulwuy
• British Arrival
• The Life of a Convict in Australia
• Profile of a Convict
• Early Struggles in the New Colony
• Early Growth of the Colony
• An Expanding Colony
• Negative Impacts of Colonisation on First Nations Peoples
• Enforced Changes to First Nations Culture
• Enforced Changes to First Nations Health and Lifestyle
• Native Protection Acts

Check-for-Understanding Slides

Dispersed along the way during this presentation on the first British colony, are several activity prompts with links to supporting resources so that you can check in with your students and gauge their understanding. These include:

• Think-feel-wonder prompts
• Stop-and-Jot
• Compass Points Reflection Worksheet 
• Convict Identification Card Activity

This resource was created on Wadawurrung Country by Caitlyn Phillips, a teacher and Teach Starter collaborator from Geelong, Victoria.