governor macquarie derek parker Also by Derek Parker: The Fall of Phaethon (1954) Company of Two (with Paul Casimir, 1955) Beyond Wisdom (verse play, 1957) Byron and his World (1968) The Twelfth Rose (ballet libretto, 1969) governor The Question of Astrology (1970) The Westcountry (1973) John Donne and his World (1975) macquarie Familiar to All: William Lilly and 17th century astrology (1975) Radio: the great years (1977) The Westcountry and the Sea (1980) His life, times and The Memoirs of Cora Pearl (fiction, as William Blatchford, revolutionary vision for 1983) God of the Dance: Vaslav Nijinsky (1988) Australia The Trade of Angels (fiction, 1988) The Royal Academy of Dancing: the first 75 years (1995) Writing Erotic Fiction (1995) Nell Gwyn (2000) Roman Murder Mystery: the true story of Pompilia (2001) derek parker Casanova (2002) Benvenuto Cellini (2004) Voltaire (2005) Outback (2008, paperback published 2009 by Woodslane Press) Banjo Paterson (2009, Woodslane Press) Arthur Phillip (2009, Woodslane Press) Woodslane Press Pty Ltd [rhs – v] 7/5 Vuko Place, Warriewood, NSW 2102 [leave blank for the moment – hopefully we’re getting a Email: [email protected] dedication or a word from the present Governor] Website: www.woodslane.com.au © 2010 Woodslane Press, text © 2010 Derek Parker This work is copyright. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of study, research or review, as permitted under Australian copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any other form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator”, at the address above. Every effort has been made to obtain permissions relating to information reproduced in this publication. The information in this publication is based upon the current state of commercial and industry practice and the general circumstances as at the date of publication. No person shall rely on any of the contents of this publication and the publisher and the author expressly exclude all liability for direct and indirect loss suffered by any person resulting in any way from the use or reliance on this publication or any part of it. Any opinions and advice are offered solely in pursuance of the author’s and publisher’s intention to provide information, and have not been specifically sought. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Author: Parker, Derek. Title: Governor Macquarie : his life, times and revolutionary vision for Australia / Derek Parker. Edition: 1st ed. ISBN: 9781921606915 (hbk.) Notes: Includes index. Bibliography. Subjects: Macquarie, Lachlan, 1761-1824. Governors--New South Wales--Biography. New South Wales--History--1788-1851.. Dewey Number: 994.402 Design and layout by Robyn Latimer, Eye Visuals Pty Ltd Printed in China IV V k governor macquariek 1795 Campaign to Cochin TIMELINE British occupy Cape of Good Hope 1796 Campaign to Columbo; Governor of Point de Galle Year Events in the life of Macquarie Spain declares war on Britain International affairs Jane Macquarie unwell 1762 January 31, birth of Lachlan Macquarie 1797 Death of Jane Macquarie England declares war on Spain Nelson’s victory at Cape St Vincent Campaign to Malabar c.1772 Attends Royal High School Edinburgh Naval mutiny at the Nore Regulating Act concerning East India Company Boston Assembly threatens secession from England 1799 Campaign to Srirangapatna Austria declares war on France 1777-84 Commissioned Ensign, serves in Canada and Tippoo defeated and killed America American War of Independence Visit to Calcutta 1784-7 Farms on Mull 1800 Military Secretary to Governor of Bombay Peace of Versailles; death of Frederick the Great Bonaparte defeats Austrians at Marengo 1787-8 Lieutenant in 77th Highland Regiment; 1801 Campaigns to Egypt raises recruits; French evacuate Egypt Governor Phillip founds settlement at Sydney Sails for India, arrives in Bombay 1802 Returns to Bombay; resumes position as Military Secretary 1789 Promoted captain lieutenant England passes law against child labour Washington President of U.S.A Serves against Tippoo Sahib in campaign at Travancore 1803 Sails for Europe; presented at Court Fall of the Bastille Britain declares war on France 1790-92 Campaigning in Mysore; Siege of Srirangapatna 1804 Money-making scam discovered Tom Paine publishes Rights of Man Bonaparte crowned Emperor Meets and proposes to Elizabeth Campbell 1793 Meets and proposes to Jane Jarvis; Married, 8 September France declares war on Britain 1805 Returns to Bombay; Military Secretary once more Promoted Brigade Major Battle of Trafalgar British seize French settlements in India Appointed Lieutenant Colonel of 73rd regiment Louis XIV executed 1807 Leaves India, travelling over-land to Europe 1794 Move to Calicut France and Russia declare war on Britain French invade Holland British bombard Copenhagen and capture Danish fleet VI VII k governor macquariek k governor macquariek 1808 Arrives in London; visits Mull 1816 Problems with Aborigines; short-lived brutal Appointed Governor of New South Wales suppression First protective tariff in U.S.A 1809 Sails for New South Wales First Australian bank established Sir John Moore killed at Corunna Again offers resignation Lord Liverpool Secretary of State for Colonies 1817 Reconciliation with Aborigines 1810 Commission as Governor read at Sydney Anglo-Spanish treaty opens up Napoleon annexes Holland West Indian trade to Britain Dealings with Governor Bligh Increased disputes with anti-emancipists Begins official duties; names Sydney streets Illegal arrest of Traveller 1811 Inspects outlying settlements; plans future towns 1818 First Australia Day celebrated Prince of Wales becomes Regent Dispute with Rev Marsden reaches apogee Visits Van Diemen’s Land Native Institution thrives British defeat French at Albuera Accused of over-spending 1819 Welcomes John Thomas Bigge, Government Commissioner 1812 Report on Transportation approves of Macquarie British found Singapore Lord Bathurst Secretary of State for the Colonies to enquire into state of N.S.W Renews determination to support emancipists First steamer crosses Atlantic in 28 days 1813 Commissions road over the Blue Mountains Serious illness Napoleon defeated at Leipzig 1820 Increased number of convicts arrive in NSW Disputes with the military Accession of King George IV Abolition of monopoly of East India Company Puts rights of emancipists in question 1814 Birth of Lachlan Law suit Napoleon abdicates; retreats to Elba 1821 Visit to Van Deimen’s Land MacquarieExpedition over Blue Mountains Death of Napoleon Christianity introduced into New Zealand Receives news of appointment of successor Disputes with Rev Marsden and the Bent brothers Unofficial ‘farewell’ tours of colony Reform of legal system 1822 15 February leaves Australia; 1 July arrives England 1815 Jeffrey Bent objects to emancipists; Visits the Highlands; leaves on tour of Europe closes the courts, refuses to pay tolls Napoleon returns; is defeated at Waterloo 1823 Tours France and Italy with Elizabeth and Lachlan Macquarie threatens resignation, but is vindicated Retires to Mull by Bathurst 1824 Falls ill during visit to London; dies, 1 July 46th regiment arrives VIII IX k governor macquariek that while Governor Macquarie had certainly supervised FOREWORD the building in New South Wales of some good roads and some handsome buildings (if at far too high a cost to the British taxpayers), under his government the colony Like Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, had ceased to be what it was required to be – a place with Lachlan Macquarie returned to England on his retirement to a reputation for cruelty and hopelessness so terrifying an indifferent and inattentive reception. Neither man received that the very threat of being banished there would the formal acknowledgement he might have expected and strike sufficient terror into the heart of a prospective certainly deserved; both died in virtual obscurity, Macquarie malefactor to make him immediately reject any thought without a knighthood or the Government pension he had of misbehaviour. Macquarie shared this view up to been promised, his funeral ignored by the state except for the a point, certainly inasmuch as he saw Australia as ‘a presence of a symbolic empty coach commissioned by the penitentiary or asylum on a grand scale’, but he also saw Secretary for the Colonies. with a vision shared by few others that the country had This neglect is not quite as puzzling as it may seem. the potential to become ‘one of the greatest and most If the general population of England knew anything at flourishing colonies belonging to the British Empire’. all about Australia it was simply as a remote colony used Reluctant though one may be to agree with any of as a receptacle for the dregs of society, from petty thieves Mr Bigge’s conclusions, which were as myopic as might to forgers to Irish political agitators. It was generally have been expected from a career civil servant totally thought useful only in that it placed nefarious malefactors devoted to serving his masters and producing a result out of sight and out of mind, ridding English harbours convenient to them, but otherwise entirely unqualified of the stinking disease-ridden prison ships which had, for the task set him, there is of course a sense in which a generation previously,