The Rum Rebellion was both dramatic and influential yet it remains curiously low key in public memory. As our only military coup orchestrated by the volatile, brilliant, and opportunistic Macarthur against the justified but unlikeable Bounty hero and villain, Bligh, it was a time when the limits of power – personal, legal, and imperial – were pushed to extremes. We will re trace the causes and motivations, discovering where Macarthur, the Rum Corps, and Bligh all lived, the places of imprisonment and escape, and the memorials to Macquarie’s eventual solutions to the rum problem. Meet at the Cenotaph outside 1 Martin Place 10 minutes before the tour starts so it can commence on time.
This walk will go ahead whatever the weather, except where the guide deems there to be a threat to health and safety. In this situation you will be contacted with an alternative date. Please ensure your mobile phone number is up-to-date with WEA before enrolling and ensure that you have it with you on the day in case the tutor needs to contact you.
- GPO, Martin Place: John Macarthur
- Wynyard Park: the Rum Corps
- Museum of Sydney: 26 January 1808
- Church Hill: imprisoned governor
- Campbells Cove: loyalists and usurpers
- Circular Quay: escape
- Macquarie’s solutions: Mint, Sydney Hospital, Parliament House, O’Connell and Bligh Streets
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Know the sequence of events, causes and consequences, the location of events and the personalities at play
