By the time Bounty reached England, she had already crossed the Pacific, sailed through the Indian Ocean and passed through the Suez Canal but the journey was not over. In 1987, Bounty joined a fleet assembled to recreate one of the defining voyages in Australian history. The journey of the First Fleet from England to Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. What followed was an eight month passage across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, ending with the fleet's arrival in Sydney Harbour on Australia Day, 26 January 1988.

THE FIRST FLEET RE-ENACTMENT

A VOYAGE 200 YEARS IN THE MAKING

The original First Fleet had sailed from Portsmouth in 1787, carrying more than 1,000 people and supplies on the voyage to Sydney. Two hundred years later, a fleet of sailing vessels set out to retrace that route as part of Australia's Bicentenary celebrations. Bounty was one of the square rigged vessels selected for the re-enactment.

PORTSMOUTH

13 MAY 1987

The fleet gathered in southern England before beginning the great passage to Australia. On 13 May 1987, the First Fleet Re-enactment Voyage officially set sail from Portsmouth following a fleet review by Queen Elizabeth II. Bounty was among the vessels beginning the journey south and west towards the Atlantic.

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

TENERIFE → RIO DE JANEIRO → CAPE TOWN

The fleet followed a route broadly corresponding with the original voyage. From the Atlantic islands, the ships continued south towards Brazil before turning towards the southern tip of Africa. By Cape Town, the voyage had already become a remarkable test of seamanship, logistics and endurance.

CAPE TOWN → MAURITIUS

INTO THE INDIAN OCEAN

From Cape Town, the fleet entered the Indian Ocean. The ships were increasingly spread across the ocean, and the voyage became a test not only of sailing but of communication, logistics and mutual support. At Mauritius, the fleet regrouped before beginning the final great passage towards Australia.

MAURITIUS → AUSTRALIA

THE LAST OCEAN

On 10 November 1987, the fleet departed Mauritius for the final ocean crossing to Australia. Fremantle was reached in December, where the fleet regrouped before continuing across the southern coast of Australia towards Botany Bay.

SYDNEY HARBOUR

26 JANUARY 1988

AUSTRALIA DAY

Before dawn on Australia Day the ships approached Sydney Heads, they were joined by a vast gathering of spectator and sailing vessels. The fleet entered Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1988, completing the voyage from England and bringing Bounty back to the place where her long 1986–87 voyage had ultimately been heading.

THE VOYAGE IS COMPLETE

Bounty had crossed oceans once again. 

From New Zealand to the South Pacific.
Across the Pacific to America.
From Vancouver to Tahiti and Australia.
Across the Indian Ocean to England.

And now, after eight months at sea, she had sailed back into Sydney Harbour as part of a fleet retracing one of Australia's defining maritime journeys.

The great voyage was over.

But Bounty's Australian story was only beginning