On the 14^th September 1796, Elizabeth McDougle (McDougall), a convict who arrived in the colony in July 1791, penned a letter to Arthur Phillip.[1] There is no doubt whatsoever that the recipient was the Australian colony’s previous governor, for the letter is addressed to ‘Arthur Phillip Esq, Late Governor of His Majestys Territories New South Wales.’[2] This article explores Elizabeth McDougall’s letter and its significance in suggesting close links between her and Arthur Phillip. This article also examines the intricacies of Elizabeth’s life, reflecting on what it reveals about the lives of the colony’s convict and emancipist women during the earliest years of settlement.

Keywords: Arthur Phillip AND Relationships; Arthur Phillip’s colonial relationships; Arthur Phillip’s relationships; Deborah Brooks; Elizabeth Dougal; Elizabeth McDougall; Elizabeth McDougall AND Arthur Phillip; Elizabeth McDougle; the women in Arthur Phillip’s life; William Evans AND Elizabeth McDougle

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