The Rum Rum Rebellion 2025:Pemulwuy vs Macarthur

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Event:6pm,26January 2025 at Cahill St Playground, Annandale

The Rum Rum Rebellion 2025:Pemulwuy vs Macarthur

Pimbloy(Pemulwuy): Native of New Holland in a canoe of that country. S. J. Neele. SLV

Public transport and short walks (audio)


The Rebellion took place in 1808 on the 20th Anniversary of the landing of the first fleet at Farm Cove or Sydney Cove(warrang).1

"The ‘Rum Rebellion’ – a title later conferred on the event by Governor Thomas Brisbane; referred to as the ‘Insurrection’ by contemporaries – was an overthrow of the government, a mutiny against Governor William Bligh’s imperially sanctioned authority. It was not a rebellion over rum nor a popular rebellion by the people, but a forceful removal of a governor from office by sections of the colonial elite and the military." - www.hht.net.au

Permulwuy, a bidgal, lead the Resistance – not just by his own people but neighbouring groups of the Sydney Basin.

“On 1 May 1801 Governor King issued a government and general order that Aborigines near Parramatta, Georges River and Prospect could be shot on sight, and in November a proclamation outlawed Pemulwuy and offered a reward for his death or capture.

Pemulwuy was shot dead about 1 June 1802 by Henry Hacking. George Suttor described the subsequent events: 'his head was cut off, which was, I believe, sent to England'. On 5 June King wrote to Sir Joseph Banks that although he regarded Pemulwuy as 'a terrible pest to the colony, he was a brave and independent character'. He further wrote: 'Understanding that the possession of a New Hollander's head is among the desiderata, I have put it in spirits and forwarded it by the Speedy'.” - https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pemulwuy-13147

Macurthur arrived on the second fleet with a wife and baby, in 1790 … https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/macarthur-john-2390

“Much settlement [by Scots] followed the Highland Potato Famine, Highland Clearances and the Lowland Clearances of the mid-19th century.” - wikipedia

Macquarie, Macurther and Johnston were all of Scottish Heritage vs the four first English Governors.

The settlement of Australia was partly driven by the establishment of the USA and the replacement of slaves with convicts for labour as an alternative to hanging. “For the Term of His Natural Life is a story written by Marcus Clarke and published in The Australian Journal between 1870 and 1872 (as His Natural Life). “ - Wikipedia

Court-Martial of Lieut.-Col. Geo. Johnston in England

 
In the course of the Court Martial, the role of the allocation of this land on the Parramatta Road was raised in the examination of Mr Grimes, the Surveyor General of the Colony.2

"By the Prisoner[Lieut George Johnston]. "Do you know of any other ground, cleared at Government expense, being granted to Gov. Bligh? - There was a piece of ground, but I think that was cleared by Gen Grose, I do not apprehend itt was cleared by Government; it was cleared prior to my coming into the colony.
Where was that - Within about two miles of Sydney, on the Parramatta road, called the Orphan Ground.
Was that ground marked out by Gov. Phillip as the Orphan Ground? - Certainly it was, for the schoolmaster; there was the church land and schoolmaster's.
Ist it a large piece? - I think it is 1000 or 1500 acres the whole, but it has been dividied into a variety of parts since.
But that of Gov Bligh's? That of Gov. Blighs is not large, I think it must be under 100 acres; it is but a small tract of ground.
Examined by the Court.
Do you know for what reason Gov. Bligh deprived Mr McArthur of his leashold? - No, I do not.
Might not Mr McArthur have named various other situations beside the three you have mentioned? Why, he did not do it to me, when I pressed him to point out situation; but the Governnor wished me strongly to urge him to have a lease somewhere in Pitt's Row, which he strongly objected to for many reasons.
Might he not have named some others?
There was certainly a vast variety of situations unoccupied, but none perhaps that he deemed eligible. But were there no other good situations besides the three which he mentioned?
O! certainly, there were a great variety of other unoccupied situations in the town...."

In 1811 George Johnston returned to England to face a Court Martial for his part in the Rum Rebellion. His journey co-incided with the passage of the newly appointed Governor Macquarie in the opposite direction. The two had been fellow officers and friends since the American War and it would have been awkward for Macquarie to have arrested Johnston.3


On 17 July 1812, Johnston wrote to Earl Bathurst:"I trust your Lordship will excuse me troubling you upon this occasion, which is to solicit from your Lordship an Order for a passage to New South Wales, for myself, my Daughter[probably Julia], and a Servant in the Ship Fortune.

I have spent much and the most active part of my life in the Service of that Colony. I have a numerous family there, and all that I possess in the World now, to enable me to provide for that family, is in that Country.

I therefore hope your Lordship will permit my return to my Family as a Settler, By the Fortune. - Transcript of Letter Book containing copies of correspondence between Major George Johnston and the Duke of Northumberland, 1811 - 12 Presented by Mrs E.C. Johnston ["Jeir"?] Nelson St., Lindfield. (This book was formerly among the papers of Mrs. Weston of Horsley, then passed into the possession of her daughter, Mrs. Smart, who presented it to Mrs E.C. Johnston.) HW. 1926.http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2011/D11961/a2252.htm#a2252003


 Fowkes, Francis & Cribb, R & Neele, Samuel John. 1789, Sketch & description of the settlement at Sydney Cove Port Jackson in the County of Cumberland taken by a transported convict on the 16th of April, 1788, which was not quite 3 months after Commodore Phillips's landing there Published R. Cribb, No. 288 High Holborn, [London] viewed 22 December 2024 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-230578175

"OBSERVATIONS ON JOHNSTON. [Source: Watson]

Research at National Library
IN spite of a certain weakness of decision, Johnston's character was an admirable one. He was "a well disposed good natured man." He had few if any personal enemies, and was popular with all persons he came in contact with. In his routine military administration he was methodical and just, and was the idol of the rank and file. His very good nature made him the easy tool of conspirators, and this was his undoing."....Mutiny; and the Trial of Lt. Col. Johnston

Author: Ned Overton (as editor),* A Project Gutenberg Australia eBook, eBook No.: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1300731h.html, Language: English, Date first posted: February 2013, Date most recently February January 2013

Further Reading

  • TITLE: The house that Jack built / George Farwell. AUTHOR: Farwell, George, 1911-1976 NLA CALL NO: NL A 822.3 F247

  • Private Collection

    TITLE: Rum Rebellion : a study of the overthrow of Governor Bligh by John Macarthur and the New South Wales Corps / by H.V. Evatt. AUTHOR: Evatt, H. V. (Herbert Vere), 1894-1965 NLA CALL NO: NLA 994.402 E92

  • TITLE: Rum, romance & rebellion / by Charles William Taussig ; drawings by Philip Kappel. AUTHOR: Taussig, Charles William, 1896-1948 [President of American Molasses Company & “In 1933, he became one of the original members of Franklin Roosevelt’s “brain trust.” He was
    appointed chairman of the national advisory committee of the National Youth Administration; he also directed the Advisory Council on the Virgin Islands making recommendations to rehabilitatethe rum industry. He authored or co-authored a number of books including Book of Radio(1922), Book of Hobbies (1924) and two publications on the history of the sugar industry: Rum,Romance & Rebellion (1928) and Some Notes on Sugar and Molasses (1940). Many of thematerials used as illustrations in Some Notes on Sugar and Molasses can be found in thecollection.”4] NLA CALL NO: YY 663.59 T228



  • “Rum, Rebels & Ratbags is history not for the faint-hearted. Historian and author of 'Girt' David Hunt and ABC Radio Sydney's Dom Knight uncover the characters and events left out of your high school history class.” https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/rumrebelsratbags

  • The 1808 'Rum' Rebellion (State Library of NSW) “The military stayed in power for two years until Lachlan Macquarie, the fifth Governor of NSW, assumed office at the beginning of 1810. The overthrow of Bligh much later became known as the ‘Rum Rebellion’ because the NSW Corps was heavily involved in the trade in rum in the colony and was nicknamed the ‘Rum Corps’. The term 'Rum Rebellion' was not used at the time. “ https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/terra-australis-australia/1808-rum-rebellion

1958 Text Book

1dual named Warrang in 1958 school comic book text bookThe Rum Rebellion.NLA CALL NO: MMp 1677

2pages 284/5 of Proceedings of a general court-martial held at Chelsea hospital : which commenced on Tuesday May 7, 1811 and continued by adjournment to Wednesday 5th of June following for the trial of Lieut.-Col. Geo. Johnston, Major of the 102d Regiment, late the New South Wales Corps, on a charge of mutiny ... for deposing, on the 26th of January, 1808, William Bligh ... /​ taken in short hand by Mr. Bartrum. National Library of Australia (viewed 6 February 2013)

3Horsemen of the First Frontier (1788-1900) and The Serpents Legacy By Keith Robert Binney pg 27/28

4CHARLES W. TAUSSIG COLLECTION Edited by Jennifer Mitchell 2018 https://lib.lsu.edu/sites/default/files/sc/findaid/2220.pdf


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