“To enduring friendship and partnership.”

That was the message at a ceremony to commemorate former New Forest resident Admiral Arthur Phillip, the first governor of New South Wales and the man dubbed the founder of modern Australia.

Led by TV historian Dan Snow, parish councillor Angela Trend, chair of New Forest District Council Mark Rolle and naval attaché to the Australian High Commissioner Captain Shane Craig, guests watched as a plaque was unveiled outside Admiral Phillip’s former home, Vernalls, where he lived in his 20s.

The crowd of about 20 then moved to the New Forest visitors’ centre, where a bench was unveiled as part of the Heritage Lottery-funded project to raise awareness of the town’s auspicious but little known local history and to celebrate links between Great Britain and Australia.

Speaking to the crowd gathered on Goose Green, historian Dan Snow described Admiral Phillips as a good example of the “characters” this country produced as well as an example of the meritocracy of the time.

Born into poverty near St Paul’s in London, Admiral Phillips worked his way up in the navy and was chosen to “save” the New South Wales colony leading the First Fleet, a group of 11 ships that sailed from Portsmouth to Botany Bay with 736 convicts.

Dan Snow said: “They needed a really good person to save the colony. He was able to lead the colony onto an enduring and successful life.

“If you were able to farm in the New Forest you could farm anywhere. It was the perfect apprenticeship. The oaks from here went to the rest of the world.”

He added that the event cemented the friendship between the UK and Australia, “one of the most enlightened and important countries on this planet.”

Also at the event were members of the British Australian society. The bench was built with some of the bricks from Vernalls, donated by current residents the Norris family.

The ceremony took place on Aussie Sunday – the Sunday nearest to January 26, or Australia Day, which is celebrated annually at Boldre church to commemorate local curate Richard Johnson, the first Christian cleric in Australia.

It was one of a series of events to commemorate the bicentenary of Admiral Phillip’s death, funded with around £16,000 from the Heritage Lottery, New Forest District Council, Lyndhurst Parish Council, New Forest Rotary Club.