This is the story of the Lady Juliana, the first all-female transport ship to be sent to Australia, as part of the Second Fleet. In 1789, the fledgling British penal settlement in Sydney was crippled by disease, hunger and depravity. But help was coming from a most unlikely quarter.

In this dramatised documentary, three 21st century Australian women discover the rags-to-respectability tale of their female convict ancestors on the Lady Juliana. The ship’s street girls, thieves and con women will do whatever it takes to survive the voyage. These spirited and resilient women will give the young colony hope and the promise of a future.

A Film Australia/Essential Viewing Production. Produced in association with the NSW Film and Television Office and with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. © National Film and Sound Archive of Australia & Screen NSW.