Charlotte Medal at National Maritime Museum

Visitors to the National Maritime Museum these holidays will see a recently-acquired treasure: the celebrated Charlotte Medal from Australia’s First Fleet.

Convict Thomas Barrett engraved the 74 mm silver Charlotte Medal on board the transport ship Charlotte when it was anchored in Botany Bay in January 1788. Along with the rest of the fleet Charlotte was awaiting Governor Phillip’s decision to sail north to strike the first European settlement at Port Jackson.

On one side of the silver disc Barrett, a professional engraver, inscribed a fully-rigged ship and the words The Charlotte at anchor / in Botany Bay / Jany. the 20, / 1788.

On the reverse side he inscriibed a short description of Charlotte’s voyage from Spithead, England (13 May 1787) to Botany Bay in the “island of New Holland” (20 January 1788).

The Charlotte Medal is one of very few objects still in existence from the voyage of First Fleet, one of the pivital events in Australian history. The National Maritime Museum acquired the medal at auction this year for $750,000. This is the first time it has been on public view for more than 20 years.

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