Arthur Phillip (1738-1814) was an English naval officer and the first governor of New South Wales. His views of predominantly free settlers foreshadowed the sentiments of the later emancipists.

Arthur Phillip was born on Oct. 11, 1738, in London and attended the Greenwich school for seamen's sons before serving an apprenticeship in the merchant navy. During the Seven Years War (1756-1763) he transferred to the Royal Navy and rose to the rank of lieutenant. Subsequently he retired on half pay, becoming a farmer in Hampshire. In 1774 the Admiralty allowed Phillip to serve as a captain in the Portuguese navy, and he later rejoined the Royal Navy during the American War of Independence. At 48 Capt. Phillip was offered a position as governor of a penal colony about to be established at Botany Bay, Australia.

The 11 ships of the 1st Fleet reached Botany Bay in January 1788 after a voyage of 8 months. As...