TENCH (Capt. Watkin, R.M.)
A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay; With an Account of New South Wales,
THE FIRST ACCOUNT OF THE SETTLEMENT AT BOTANY BAY
Watkin Tench [1758(?)-1833] entered the Marines in 1776, and fought in the American War of Independence rising to the rank of First Lieutenant. Following his promotion to Captain, Tench volunteered to serve in the proposed Colony of New South Wales and travelled on board the transport Charlotte arriving at Botany Bay in 1788.
Tench was one of the most important, and certainly the most charismatic, members of the First Fleet. An acute and perceptive observer, he took careful note of the new experiences provided by the Australian continent and his fellows’ reactions to it. When not writing these down, Tench led several expeditions into the interior, discovering amongst other things the Dawes river, which he traced to the Hawkesbury. His attempt to conquer the Blue Mountains however failed, the expedition having to turn back at the Razorback.
Tench’s book was an immediate success with the public, and ran to three editions in England during 1789. “Our author’s modest preface, and unassuming manner through the whole of this little work, entitle him to our attention and regard” (Critical Review, May 1789). Ferguson, 54.
