In this activity, students will examine the establishment of the British penal colony at Sydney Cove in 1788 and explore the decisions made by Governor Arthur Phillip that affected the Indigenous Australian population. They will investigate the early difficulties of colonial life, the policy of mutual respect Phillip put in place toward First Nations peoples, and the complicated life of Bennelong as a go-between for the two communities.

It has 12 questions for students to answer, as well as a paragraph response section for them to demonstrate their understanding of the topic.