The First Fleet, a collection of 11 ships, left England in May of 1787 and arrived in Botany Bay in January 1788. The fleet was made up of 2 Royal Navy escorts, 3 supply ships, and 6 convict transports carrying almost 800 prisoners. Botany Bay, the first European settlement in Australia, began as a penal colony.
- - - - -
Phascolarctos cinereus - Koalas are endemic to the eastern regions of Australia; higher concentrations are found along the cooler coastal woodland areas. Northern populations tend to be smaller and lighter in color than those residing in the southern sections of the country. Koalas are nocturnal, spending about 4 hours each night foraging exclusively on eucalyptus leaves, a plant in the myrtle family. This low energy and protein deficient diet does not support an active lifestyle; to compensate, the sedentary koala sleeps for almost 20 hours each day.
