A Commonwealth of Thieves by Thomas Keneally

The provided text is comprised of excerpts from Thomas Keneally's book, A Commonwealth of Thieves: The Improbable Birth of Australia, which recounts the establishment of the penal colony at New South Wales starting with the First Fleet in 1788. The overview details the grueling sea voyage, led by Governor Arthur Phillip, and the harsh conditions endured by the convicts aboard the ships. It explores the reasons for transportation, noting the British criminal justice system's severity and the miserable state of prisons and hulks in England. Furthermore, the text examines the initial struggles of the settlement at Sydney Cove, including food shortages, conflicts among settlers and marines, the role of prominent figures like Phillip and the Irish surgeon D'Arcy Wentworth, and the devastating impact of European disease and encroachment on the Indigenous Eora people.