Watkin Tench (6 October 1758 - 7 May 1833) was a British marine
officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his
experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first
settlement in Australia in 1788. His two accounts, "Narrative of
the Expedition to Botany Bay" (this edition) and "Complete Account
of the Settlement at Port Jackson" provide an account of the
arrival and first four years of the colony. Little more is known of
him until he sailed as part of the First Fleet, although he records
that he had spent time in the West Indies and his service record
shows that he was promoted to Captain-Lieutenant in September 1782
and went on half-pay in May 1786. In October 1788, Robert Ross made
a list of marines who wanted to stay in Australia either as
soldiers or settlers. Tench headed the list as 'a soldier for one
tour more of three years.' Among his achievements in the fledgling
colony of New South Wales Tench was the first European to discover
the Nepean River. Tench's accounts were influenced by the
liberalism of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the idea of the noble
savage. He thus writes with some sympathy of the Aborigines. His
writings include much information about the Aborigines of Sydney,
the Gadigal and Cammeraygal (whom he referred to as "Indians"). He
was friendly with Bennelong, Barangaroo and several others. He
stayed in Sydney until December 1791 when he sailed home on the HMS
Gorgon, arriving in Plymouth in July 1792.
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