| New South Wales Marines | |
|---|---|
 The uniform of the British Marines. Engraving by Joseph Stadler, 1815. | |
| Active | 1786–1791 |
| Country |  Great Britain |
| Branch | Her Majesty's Naval Service |
| Type | Marine Infantry |
| Size | One battalion |
| Colours | Wreath of thistles and roses on white background[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Major Robert Ross 1786–1791 |
The New South Wales Marine Corps (1786–1792) was an ad hoc volunteer unit that the British Royal Navy created to guard the convicts aboard the First Fleet to Australia, and to preserve "subordination and regularity" in the penal colony in New South Wales.[2]
Established in 1786, the Marines saw active service in New South Wales from 1788 to 1792 and were instrumental in establishing the colony's rule of law. Study of the complete New South Wales Marine complement indicates they were chosen from the Plymouth and Portsmouth Divisions, with only one exception. Beginning with guards arriving with the 2nd and 3rd fleets but officially with the arrival of HMS Gorgon on 22 September 1791, the New South Wales Marines were relieved by a newly formed British Army regiment of foot, the New South Wales Corps.[3]
- ^ Moore 1987, p. 33
- ^ Correspondence from Lord Sydney to the Lords Commissioners of Treasury, 18 August 1786. Cited in Britton 1978, p. 14.
- ^ "102nd Regiment of Foot". Regiments.org (archived version). Archived from the original on 13 January 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2013.