E30: London's Verdict on the Rum Rebellion

E30: London's Verdict on the Rum Rebellion

From Political History of Australia by John Ruddick

June 10, 2026 · 52 min · Season 1 · Episode 30

About this episode

This episode examines London's response to the Rum Rebellion and the subsequent political changes in early colonial Australia.

The men who led the march on Government House to depose Governor William Bligh in 1808 knew there would be consequences. Yet the Rebel Administration played a weak hand with skill and restraint. Beyond removing Bligh at gunpoint, they worked hard to appear measured and proper at every step.   In this episode we examine London’s firm response to the Rum Rebellion: dispatching 800 battle-hardened troops from the 73rd Regiment, ordering a court martial, and recalling the New South Wales Corps. Lachlan Macquarie arrives in Sydney at the end of 1809 and is sworn in as governor on New Year’s Day 1810, marking the start of the Middle Colonial Period.   The dramatic 1811 court martial of Major George Johnston in London hears explosive testimony from both sides. Johnston is found guilty of mutiny yet receives only the lightest possible sentence - sacked from the army - because the court acknowledged the “novel and extraordinary circumstances” created by Bligh’s tyrannical rule. Johnston returns quietly to farming life, Bligh never commands men again, and John Macarthur remains in England until 1817.   The episode closes the Early Colonial era and sets the stage for the new…

People in this episode

Host: John Ruddick

Topics covered

  • Rum Rebellion
  • Colonial Australia
  • Governance
  • Military Response
  • Political History
  • Court Martial
  • Colonial Administration

Keywords

  • Rum Rebellion
  • William Bligh
  • Lachlan Macquarie
  • Major George Johnston
  • New South Wales Corps
  • court martial
  • Exclusives
  • Emancipists

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New South Wales Corps, 73rd Regiment

Places: London

More episodes of Political History of Australia

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Political History of Australia podcast page.