Against the Odds

The colony started with a bang, but from that point it was a bitter struggle for survival. With the assistance of Tim Flannery, Tony recreates the orgy that was said to have taken place when women were brought ashore many days after the men first landed. From day one the challenge was to find and grow food to sustain the new colony. Captain Phillip had come well stocked, but had neglected to bring a farmer. Knowing that food was their lifeline, he issued a decree: if food is stolen, the thief will be hanged whether he be convict or soldier. Phillip also tried to engage the indigenous people, with disastrous results. Thomas Keneally takes Tony to the beach where Australia's first assassination attempt took place: the spearing of Governor Arthur Phillip.