In the years immediately after the First Fleet sailed into Botany Bay in 1788, the main concern of the colonists, both free and convict, was to establish a foothold on what was then an inhospitable continent. Although people had to devote the greater part of their time and energy to ensuring the survival and material welfare of the settlements, the colonist soon established recreational activities which reflected mainly the British society from which they came. Those recreations were often violent, brutal and crude. But gradually a minority also established gentler, more cultured pursuits such as those associated with music and the theatre
Analysis
Leisure activities. Social aspects. Australia, 1788-1850
