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Home , Arthur Phillip, Chinese export porcelain, HMS Supply (1759), New Holland (Australia), Philip Gidley King

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INTERESTING ITEMS FROM THE COLLECTION

The 13 May 2019 marks 232 years since the left destined for New , now known as . After months of preparation, the fleet departed on 13 May 1787, consisting of: • two vessels – HMS Supply and HMS Sirius • three store ships – Golden Grove, Fishburn and Borrowdale • six convict transports – , Charlotte, Friendship, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales and Scarborough On board the ships were somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 convicts, marines, seamen, civil officers and free people (accounts differ on the numbers), and a large quantity of stores. The fleet sailed first to to pick up supplies, then east to , finally arriving at between 18 to 20 January 1788. The journey took about 252 days, although some of the ships were faster and arrived before the others. Having established a fledgling colony at , Governor charged Lieutenant with settling a sister colony on , hoping it would become the ‘breadbasket’ of . King and 22 other brave souls landed on Norfolk Island on 6 March 1788, establishing the First British Settlement. The settlement ran until 1814 when the last of the convicts and officers were transferred to Van Diemen’s Land (now known as ). The Norfolk Island Museums and Research Centre are fortunate to hold a number of items from the First British Settlement, which form part of the KAVHA Collection and are showcased in a permanent exhibition within the Commissariat Store. Some of the items which show everyday life from the perspective of officers and their wives are pieces of 18th-century china and brought from with the First Fleet. The artefacts below were found around the KAVHA site and include: (Image Left): Queens Ware urn – Queens Ware was a common British ceramic used for plates and domestic use. Initially designed for Queen Charlotte, consort to King George III, Queen’s Ware always has a yellowish hue – records of the trials to create the distinctive colour begun by Josiah in 1759 survive and are part of the collection housed within the Wedgewood Museum and archives at Barlaston, England.

T: (+6723) 22444 | W: www.norfolkisland.gov.nf

Above: 1. English basket weave, possibly Wedgewood, c1790s–1810 2. Black basalt ware – this type of porcelain was sometimes known as Black Basalt or Basaltes. It is a hard, black vitreous stoneware, named after the volcanic rock basalt, manufactured by from about 1768. Wedgwood had improved an earlier example of stained earthenware known as ‘Egyptian Black’, which had been produced by other Staffordshire potters. 3. Hand-painted earthen ware

(Image left) English copies of Chinese porcelain c1790s, excavated from the Pier Area.

(Image right) Shows fragments of hand-painted Chinese export porcelain. Produced in great quantities in and shipped to England and India, they were a very common importation of the and 1790s. Chinese export porcelain was commonly decorated with hand-painted designs in cobalt blue pigment, so it is easily distinguished from European wares. Unfortunately, large fragments are rarely found. The pieces shown here are common examples of the cheaper , blue, painted porcelain, which was produced by painting the decoration directly onto the unfired body then dipping it into a glaze and firing once. This kept production cost low.

T: (+6723) 22444 | W: www.norfolkisland.gov.nf

(Image left) With a feather-edge it is clear to see where the name for this chinaware came from! The feather-edge was a relatively common decoration throughout the 19th-century, appearing as an ‘impressed’ feather pattern in blue or green on a scalloped edge. To learn more about these items and to view other artefacts from the First British Settlement, visit the Commissariat Store Museum – open Monday to Saturday 11am–3pm.

Helen Brackin TEAM LEADER HERITAGE MANAGEMENT 10 May 2019

T: (+6723) 22444 | W: www.norfolkisland.gov.nf