The Friendship was a convict transport ship in the First Fleet. The First Fleet carried convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. The ships left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January, 1788. This was the start of European settlement of Australia. The "Friendship" was a ship of 278 tons which had been built in Scarborough about 1785. It was under the command of Master Francis Walton. The ship had a contract with the British Government to carry convicts. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month until the ship returned to Deptford. They had to agree to keep the prisoners secure and in safe custody.