John Randall - Australian First Fleet

John Randall was one of the remarkable individuals who arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788, helping to lay the foundations of the future nation. Born around 1764, details of his early life are sparse, though it is believed he was of African descent—making him one of the earliest known people of colour to settle permanently in Australia. Randall served in the British Army before encountering legal trouble. In 1785, he was convicted of theft and sentenced to transportation to the penal colony of New South Wales.

He embarked aboard the transport ship Alexander, one of the eleven vessels of the First Fleet led by Captain Arthur Phillip. The long and arduous 8-month voyage across the world concluded when the fleet reached Botany Bay, before relocating to Port Jackson, where Sydney was established.

Randall’s military experience made him a valuable asset in the struggling colony. He was assigned to work as a gamekeeper and hunter, helping to provide food at a time when survival was uncertain. His skills with firearms earned him respect and trust from colonial authorities.

In 1790, Randall’s partner, an Aboriginal woman named Mary or “Mary Randall,” gave birth to their daughter, Amelia—often considered one of the first children born of both Indigenous and convict heritage within the colony. Randall later received a land grant at Parramatta, demonstrating his growing role as a free settler.

Despite these achievements, records suggest his later years were marked by hardship. Randall eventually left his land, and the exact circumstances of his death remain unknown. Yet his legacy endures as a pioneering figure—an early soldier, survivor, and settler whose story reflects the diversity and complexity of Australia’s beginnings.