Published in Phillip's 'The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay...' (1789). A particularly fine map of Sydney Cove showing the layout of the fledgling Sydney in July 1788. "It gives a detailed survey of the depth soundings in Sydney Cove, as surveyed by John Hunter, as second in command. The legend on the map details the various buildings and farms already constructed. The mooring positions of the 'Sirius' and the 'Supply' are specifically shown, along with five other ships of the fleet. Reference is also made to a nine-acre farm at what is now Farm Cove. Note that the 'Principal Street' (marked 4) did not materialise - 'Main' (later George) Street followed a natural path created by men carrying water to the convict huts from the upper part of the Tank Stream" (Brown).

The mapmakers
Arthur Phillip (1738-1814), was Captain of the "First Fleet" to sail to Australia with the intention of founding a permanent settlement. He joined the Royal Navy as barely a teenager in 1751, and had already retired twice after an illustrious career, before being commissioned by Lord Sydney to be the first Governor of New South Wales in 1786. He arrived at Botany Bay in January of 1788 with a fleet of 11 ships, and about 750 convicts. Three days later, he founded the first convict settlement at Sydney Cove, in Port Jackson.

Phillip is generally regarded as "an enlightened leader for his time, who tried to reform, as well as discipline, his convict charges. He also sought to establish harmonious relations with the Eora people, the traditional owners of the land in the Sydney area. Local man Bennelong not only acted as an intermediary between Phillip and the Eora, but also seems to have enjoyed a genuine friendship with Phillip... The fledgling colony faced starvation as the lack of skilled farmers, spoilt seed, poor soils and unfamiliar climate saw the failure of the first crops. Phillip's humane insistence that convict and free should share alike the reduction of their meagre rations was not universally popular; nor were his gifts of land to deserving convicts. But both actions ensured the colony's survival and initiated an egalitarian spirit still prized in Australia today" (National Museum of Australia online).

William Dawes (1762-1836) sailed on the 'Sirius' in the "First Fleet" (1786-1788). He was known as a "competent astronomer and on the recommendation of the astronomer royal, Rev. Dr Nevil Maskelyne, the Board of Longitude supplied instruments and books for an observatory and asked Dawes to watch especially for a comet expected in 1788. His application for a shore appointment was refused, but he was promised the first vacancy, and meanwhile attached to the marines in the Sirius. From March 1788 he was employed ashore as engineer and surveyor, and by early July had been discharged from the Sirius. He had already begun to build an observatory on what is now Dawes Point, though at his request Hunter called it Point Maskelyne. He devoted as much time as possible to observations but the expected comet did not appear. As engineer and surveyor he constructed batteries on the points at the entrance to Sydney Cove, laid out the government farm and the first streets and allotments in Sydney and Parramatta and in December 1789, with the governor's approval, led a party into the mountains across the Nepean River, penetrating only fifteen miles (24 km) in three days because of precipitous ravines. With Watkin Tench he explored the upper Nepean, opened the way to the Cowpastures and joined many other expeditions, on which his training and skill were invaluable in computing distances and in map making" (Mander Jones for ADB online).