Episode Three
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EPISODE THREE THE PEOPLE ARE REVOLTING OVERVIEW Getting started Certificate of Freedom. He was then free to become a settler or to return ‘Australia started as a social experiment.’ One of the primary reasons for the home. Convicts that misbehaved, – Tony Robinson British settlement of Australia was the however, were often sent to a place establishment of a penal colony. Trans- of secondary punishment where they sAny convicts in your family? portation to Australia was a common would suffer additional punishment punishment handed out for both major and solitary confinement. sThe website of the Australian Gov- and petty crimes. At the time it was ernment provides a comprehensive seen as a more humane alternative to ‘The People are Revolting’ examines account of this period in Australia’s execution. Between 1787 and 1868, the enforcement of law and order in history and provides links to other over 162,000 British and Irish convicts the colony of New South Wales. As the online resources. Explore <http:// were transported to Australia. early settlers began to sink their roots australia.gov.au/about-australia/ deeper into the soils of the new colony, australian-story/convicts-and-the If a convict was well behaved, the the first rumblings of liberty and free- -british-colonies>. convict could be given a ticket of dom began. The authority of the penal leave, and at the end of the convict’s government was questioned more and s‘He got convicted for stealing a tea sentence, seven years in most more by the convicts and even by the set.’ – Tony Robinson cases, the convict was issued with a soldiers themselves. What was the Bloody Code? Research transportation to Australia at <http://www.nationalarchives.gov. uk/podcasts/transportation-australia. htm>. As a class debate the contention, ‘That the punishment should fit the crime’. sWhat do you think would have been the worst aspect of being a convict SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 19 in Australia? Share your answer with the class. Can you think of any ad- vantages of being transported to the colonies? PINCHGUT ISLAND Pinchgut Island, or as it is now known, Fort Denison, is a former penal site and defensive facility occupying a small island located north of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales. Prior to European settlement, the island was known as Mat-te-wan-ye. It was initially named Rock Island but came by the name Pinchgut in 1788, after a convict named Thomas Hill was Discuss s How does the newsreel portray Fort sentenced to a week on bread and water Denison? in irons there. Have you ever visited Fort Denison? If you have, share your memories of the s What did you notice about the By 1796, a gibbet had been installed on visit with others in the class. production values of the newsreel? Pinchgut. The first convict to be hanged from the gibbet was probably Francis Morgan. Student activity THE 1804 BATTLE OF s What other functions has Fort VINEGAR HILL Student activity: Denison served? Use print and electronic texts to research the ‘Death or liberty.’ s What is a gibbet? history of Fort Denison. When you have completed your research, think In March 1798, Ireland was declared to s What crimes did Francis Morgan of a way to present the information be in a state of insurrection. Under the commit? to the class. You could construct a Insurrection Act, Magistrates and Military timeline, make a PowerPoint, draw a Officers were empowered to arrest and s Why was Pinchgut Island Francis comic, write a fictional story, assume punish, by death or otherwise, according Morgan’s place of execution? the persona of a tour guide or make to their discretion, people committing a series of postcards. treasonable acts or even suspected of Francis Morgan’s convict record is treason. Many thousands were, without registered online at <http://www.convict any judicial trial or investigation, flogged, records.com.au/convicts/morgan/francis/ Extension tortured, transported or executed. 60164> An Australia Today newsreel dating from The first Battle of Vinegar Hill occurred Fort Denison is now a museum, tourist 1939 provides a nostalgic look at the his- on 21 June 1798, when over 15,000 attraction and a popular location for tory of Fort Denison. You can watch two British soldiers launched an attack wedding receptions and corporate clips from the newsreel on the Australian on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy in events. Screen website at <http://aso.gov.au/ County Wexford, Ireland. The battle titles/newsreels/australia-today-fort marked a turning point in the Irish -denison-p/>. Rebellion of 1798, as it was the last attempt by the rebels to hold and defend A newsreel was a form of short docu- ground against the British military. mentary film that was popular in the first half of the twentieth century. It was Extensive information about the uprising a source of news, current affairs and can be found on the website of Ireland’s entertainment for millions of moviego- National 1798 Visitor Centre at <http:// ers until television took its place in the www.1798centre.ie/index.htm>. 1950s. Newsreels are now considered significant historical documents. Australia’s very own Battle of Vinegar SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 20 Hill occurred in the colony of New South Teachers should use this resource to The penal station was established in Wales in 1804. locate relevant primary and secondary 1830 as a timber-getting camp, produc- sources. ing sawn logs for government projects. The sending of Irish political prisoners After 1833, Port Arthur became a jail for to Australia changed the colony of New Primary accounts of the Battle of Vinegar repeat offenders, and by 1840, it held South Wales. The Irish convicts did not Hill are found in the Historical Records of over 2000 convicts. In 1848, the first see English authority as legitimate in Ire- NSW <http://publications.nsw.gov.au/ stone was laid for the Separate Prison, land and were not prepared to recognise pub/d4e/2ed/d4e2eda2e84ca3ceee6240 the completion of which brought about its legitimacy in Australia either. They 4c8580b4bc5b612270/document.pdf> a shift in punishment philosophy from conspired to be free of the brutal tedium on pp.353–8. physical to mental subjugation. of convict life and the harshness of con- vict discipline. Their ultimate goal was to Convicts at Port Arthur were subjected escape from the penal colony by ship. Student activity to a range of punishments including loss of privileges, hard labour, head shaving, The leaders of the 4 March 1804 rebel- sLearn more about the Battle of the treadmill, shackles, leg irons and lion were Phillip Cunningham and William Vinegar Hill online at: flogging. With the opening of the Sepa- Johnston. Phillip Cunningham was a rate Prison, solitary confinement became veteran of the 1798 conflict in Ireland - http://about.nsw.gov.au/ the preferred method of punishment. and the mutiny of the convict transport encyclopedia/article/battle-of ship Ann. William Johnston was another -vinegar-hill-5-march/ Transportation to Van Diemen’s Land Irish convict. ended in 1853 and Port Arthur became - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ a place to send convicts who were too The plan involved torching John Macar- Castle_Hill_convict_rebellion physically or mentally disabled to look thur’s property at Elizabeth Farm in order after themselves. The penal settlement to draw the Parramatta garrison out of - http://www.dictionaryofsydney. finally closed in 1877. Many of the set- the town. Once this was done the rebels org/entry/castle_hill_convict_ tlement’s buildings were pulled down or in Parramatta would rise up and set fire rebellion_1804 gutted by fire. Others were sold to pri- to the town as a signal. The Castle Hill vate settlers and gradually a small town, rebels would gather at Constitution Hill - http://www.hawkesburyhistory. named Carnarvon, was established. and then raid the barracks for more arms org.au/articles/Battle_of_Vinegar. and ammunition. From there the rebels html The Port Arthur Historic Site Manage- would march to Windsor and join up ment Authority is now responsible for with the rebels in the Hawkesbury before sWrite an account of the Battle of the site’s management and conservation marching on Sydney. Vinegar Hill that may have been as a place of international significance. published in the Sydney Gazette at Port Arthur is Tasmania’s premier tourist Major George Johnston led the group the time. attraction. of New South Wales Corps soldiers and members of the Active Defence militia Or The official website for Port Arthur who pursued the rebels. Governor Philip is a useful resource for teachers and Gidley King’s retribution for the rebellion Write an account of the Battle of students wanting to learn more about was swift. King believed that punishing Vinegar Hill that may have been Australia’s convict past <http://www. the leaders would pacify the convicts published in a Dublin newspaper at portarthur.org.au>. who had followed them. the time. The location of the Battle of Vinegar Hill Discuss is in Castlebrook Cemetery, Rouse Hill PORT ARTHUR and is marked by a memorial. sHave you visited Port Arthur? Share your recollections of the time that A comprehensive index of references to ‘How do you punish someone who’s al- you spent there with the class. the Battle of Vinegar Hill can be found at ready being punished in a penal colony?’ <http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=10594>. – Tony Robinson Student Activity The peninsula on which Port Arthur is located was deemed suitable for a penal sWhy does Tony Robinson tell the station. It was a naturally secure site story of the bushranger James given it was surrounded by water that at Carrot? the time was rumoured to be shark in- fested.