The Charlotte Medal
Small thing, great story!
Purchased with the assistance of the National Cultural Heritage Account, the Australian National Maritime Museum possesses one of Australia’s most fascinating objects and possibly the first known colonial artefact. The Charlotte Medal is a rare object from the time of the First Fleet. The many stories connected to it are fascinating, intricate and timeless.
One is the story of the ship itself. Charlotte was a newer vessel in the fleet, named after the German Princess Charlotte von Mecklenburg-Strelitz who later married King George III in 1761. It was one of six convict transports and three supply ships escorted by HMS Sirius and HMS Supply. Charlotte was 105 feet long (32 metres), had a breadth of 28 feet 2½ inches (8.59 metres) and a registered tonnage of 338 tons.
Oil painting of the first fleet storeship BORROWDALE, a three masted, wooden square rigged merchant storeship, depicted in three positions.
Francis Holman. ANMM Collection
This engraving titled - A View of Botany Bay - is from The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay, by Arthur Phillip, published in London in 1789. A footnote states - "The annexed view of Botany Bay represents the SUPPLY. etc. at anchor, and the SIRIUS with her convoy coming into the bay".
T. Medland after a drawing by Robert Cleveley, published by J. Stockdale 17 June 1789. ANMM Collection
Equally fascinating is the story of the medal’s creator: convict, thief, mutineer, criminal and talented forger Thomas Barret. He skilfully depicted the arrival of the ship in Botany Bay while he was on board. No luck was gained from his artistic endeavours. At Port Jackson, he was convicted for theft and ordered to be executed. It was the third time execution was ordered for Thomas Barret, and the last. After creating the medal, possible for the First Fleet’s senior surgeon John White, his next achievement was to become the first person executed in the budding colony.
On the medal, Barret tells us the story of his voyage, after skilfully creating it out of a piece of silver most likely taken from a doctor’s kidney dish. On its obverse it shows Charlotte at anchor, with stars glittering above. The inscription on the reverse is part celebration, part recording of events:
Sailed the Charlotte of London from Spit Head the 13 of May
1787. Bound for Botany Bay I n the Island of New Holland arriv’d
at Teneriff the 4th June in Lat 28.13N Long 42.38 W depart’d it
10 arriv’d at Rio Janeiro 6 of Aug in Lat 22.54 S Long 42.38 W
depart’d it the 5 Sept arriv’d at the Cape of Good Hope the
14 Octr in Lat 34.29 Lon S 18.29 E depart’d it th 13 of Novr and
made the South Cape of New Holland the 8 of Jany 1788 in
Lat 43.32 S Long 146.56E arrived Botany Bay the 20 of Jany the
Charlotte in Co in Lat 34.00 South Long 151.00 East distance
from Great Britain miles 13106.
The artist recounts a journey of 13,106 miles. It led to new experiences for the travellers, untold challenges for the First Nations inhabitants of the continent, and an early grave for Thomas Barret.
