G'day fi(ona)_in_nz,

My first reaction was that this had to be 'revival' composition ... and I see that it is the work of Graham Moore.

I'n sure that real sailors know where they are bound ... and especially where the dock actually is. Nobody really sailed off "bound for" Botany Bay" after the First Fleet, in 1788. Captain Phillip took a good hard look at Botany Bay ... and sent his officers off to look for a decent harbour ... and they pretty quickly came back and said the next harbour north was great ... and could hold all the navies in the world!

The destination "Botany Bay" may well have been written on convict sentence details ... and even shipping schedules, for some time ... but they all actually landed in Sydney Cove. I think the persistence of the error can be blamed on singers ... initially the ones flogging penny broadsides on the streets of London / Liverpool / Dublin / wherever ... and then (a century later) on Mayhew's production of Little Jack Shepherd with its version of Farewell to Ye Judges & Juries re-jigged as a 'music hall' song Botany Bay.

Admittedly, in these days of massive container ships ... and the necessity of quick transfer to mass transport ... Botany Bay is one of our major container shipping docks ... but it spent most of the 19th century being heavily guarded against a possible 'back door'
invasion by the Russians!

Regard(les)s,

Bob