Star Trek's SS Botany Bay: Khan Noonien Singh's Ship Has A Dark History

Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) is nothing short of a "Star Trek" icon, but not for the best of reasons. The genetically engineered villain is one of the most dangerous and cunning foes Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the rest of the starship Enterprise crew face throughout their time among the stars. After conquering a large portion of Earth during the 1990s, Khan is frozen in suspended animation until 2267, when he and his allies are freed from their purgatory on the SS Botany Bay — a vessel with a dark real-world history behind it.

Botany Bay, also known as Kamay in the Dharawal language, is located in Australia and was established as a British penal colony in the late 18th century following Captain James Cook's arrival. The ensuing colonization of Australia devastated local Indigenous populations. Soon enough, Botany Bay became a port for the delivery of convicts, with roughly 160,000 passing through between 1788 and 1850. Worse yet, conditions on the transport ships and in Botany Bay itself were less than ideal, resulting in widespread disease and death. The history of Australia's Botany Bay is ugly, to put it lightly, but how does its history relate to Khan's transport?

There is more than one symbolic reason for Khan Noonien Singh's ship being called the SS Botany Bay. The most obvious is that, much like the real Botany Bay, the ship contains some pretty rough criminals. After all, Khan and his fellow Augments used their enhanced abilities to take over a sizable portion of Earth, only to be narrowly overthrown and forced to escape into space to save their lives. Of course, another interpretation focuses on the later history of Botany Bay.

In the modern day, Botany Bay is no longer used for the delivery of convicts. Rather, it's more of a traditional shipping port, with container ships often passing through Port Botany to deliver various goods to the mainland. This connection specifically pertains to the first appearance of the Botany Bay ship in the "Star Trek" franchise. In the "Star Trek: The Original Series" Season 1 episode "Space Seed," it's revealed that Khan and his crew froze themselves during their trip, effectively making them cargo until they are awoken.

Ultimately, the SS Botany Bay doesn't get a very strong end to its story, simply being abandoned on the planet Ceti Alpha V and left to rot. Still, there's no denying its place in "Star Trek" history and the fascinating real-world inspiration behind its name.