The “Rum Rebellion”
in fact had many causes but it was Governor William Bligh’s attempt to stop the
essentially illegal rum trade that was controlled by the local militia that
proved the final straw. In fairness to Bligh, he was merely
carrying out orders from the Colonial Office which wanted to normalize trading
in the colony which had been formally founded just 20 years before.
Yet Bligh, already infamous the
inciting a mutiny on his ship The Bounty, was an abrasive character in
his own right. On his trip to Australia to take over as governor he had chafed
at command of the convoy being given to a junior naval officer, Captain Joseph
Short, and so willfully disobeyed his orders (which led to Short firing a
literal shot across his bows) before finally arresting Short and taking over
the little convoy himself.
His attitude in Australia did not
endear him to many. He arrived in
Sydney in 1807 and his dictatorial manner made him powerful enemies. He dismissed important men from their
positions for no reason, he stopped giving land grants to the powerful – and
gave them to himself instead, he evicted the poor and appropriated their land,
he imprisoned those who wrote to complain and then he tried to stop the New
South Wales Corps’ rum trade which made its members and local businessmen large
profits.
Matters when he came to a head when
Bligh clashed with the irascible John MacArthur, a part-time officer in the
Corps and burgeoning wool tycoon with considerable interests in the rum trade. A disagreement over landing
regulations led to MacArthur’s arrest. He was bailed on 25 January and the next
day, under threat of arrest, he and supporters from the Corps and other
prominent colonists marched against Bligh when he accused them of treasonous
actions. Marching to Government House with
colors flying and band playing, Bligh was found hiding under the bed. A rebel government was established in which
MacArthur played a key part.
After a period of house arrest Bligh
was sent back to Britain, though he unsuccessfully tried to get help from the
lieutenant-governor of Tasmania to help reinstate him on his way back.
William Bligh never seemed to be able to get the respect that he should, but when it comes to controlling the availability of liquor to the people, you don't want to say NO! ;o)
