alternatehistory.com
December 1822 - A look at the Macquarie era
Extract from “The Autocratic Era- the early Governors of New South Wales”, Denly Press, 1950
The twelve year term of Lachlan Macquarie as Governor of New South Wales was a far reaching one indeed. It was a time of rapid growth and expansion, not only in land holdings but also in population. Lachlan Macquarie was to die back in Scotland in relative obscurity, indeed portrayed by many as a man of strange ideas, but in Australasia many consider him a nation builder and the “father of Australasia”.
Macquarie saw the future of the colony as to provide an opportunity for former convicts to start a new life and begin again after a period of punishment for their crimes. He saw Australasia as a new land where those without opportunities to advance themselves in both Ireland and England could come and advance themselves and their station in life. It was a view that frequently brought him into conflict with his superiors in London, who did not espouse similar views.
At the end of Macquarie’s tenure in 1822, we see what was to later become Western Australia colonized and the first convicts arrive at such a station in the following year. This followed the settlement of the Morton Bay district two years earlier than planned, in 1820. In fact at the end of Macquarie’s tenure he had effective control over not only what is now New South Wales but also what is now Queensland, Tasmania, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island, New Caledonia and Western Australia. Near sixty thousand people, both convict and free settler, lay scattered across these territories.
Macquarie was to create the first real police force in 1810. He was to break the importation and use of rum as a currency, granting and taxing the privilege of importing liquor into the colonies. Despite objections by many in London, Macquarie had actively canvassed for more free settlers, a fine prospect for many of Wellington’s veterans that came back to England in 1814 with no jobs and little in the way of prospects. The ready availability of land grants to such former soldiers was to spark a wave of immigration. Without a war to prosecute, the number of convicts transported to Australia was to also leap dramatically. Some 21,000 are sent between 1817 and 1822 alone, severely testing the Colonial authority ability to be able to physically guard and deal with such numbers and also hampering Macquarie’s ability to comply with London’s wishes to cut expenses.
None the less, a proper Court was established in 1815, rendering redundant a need to contact London to determine sentences for more serious crimes. Macquarie established “counties”, forbidding settlement in some so as to appease Aboriginal people that their lands would be protected.
For all this, there were certain areas in failure of policy. One of these was in relations with natives. Macquarie had been inclined to as conciliatory as possible, favouring treaties and had established native schools and a forum where both parties could meet. Despite these seemingly sensible acts, many settlers ignored prohibitions in regards non settlement in reserved areas, provoking confrontations that became increasingly common. The constant stream of complaints from influential people who also had supporters in London eventually influenced Macquarie to abandon a number of these conciliatory policies and instead embark troops on a number of punitive expeditions against that only further raised tensions and led to more conflict. Likewise, the very large numbers of convicts transported and the consequent strain on infrastructure was to see a sharp increase in absconding, with increasing numbers of men turning to bush ranging.
Eventually, Macquarie’s detractors were to have their way. In 1820 London, concerned that Macquarie was allowing far too much free reign to “unlawful and seditious elements”, appointed a Commissioner to report on activities in the Antipodes, this in spite of Macquarie’s strong support from within the Colony. Bigge was to arrive in Sydney in mid-1820 in the company of three Catholic priests who were to build the first Catholic Church in Sydney, St David’s, and a further sign of Macquarie’s laxity in the eyes of Bigge. His large three volume report that was released in early in 1822. On the 1st December 1822, Macquarie was replaced by Thomas Brisbane.
The twelve year term of Lachlan Macquarie as Governor of New South Wales was a far reaching one indeed. It was a time of rapid growth and expansion, not only in land holdings but also in population. Lachlan Macquarie was to die back in Scotland in relative obscurity, indeed portrayed by many as a man of strange ideas, but in Australasia many consider him a nation builder and the “father of Australasia”.
Macquarie saw the future of the colony as to provide an opportunity for former convicts to start a new life and begin again after a period of punishment for their crimes. He saw Australasia as a new land where those without opportunities to advance themselves in both Ireland and England could come and advance themselves and their station in life. It was a view that frequently brought him into conflict with his superiors in London, who did not espouse similar views.
At the end of Macquarie’s tenure in 1822, we see what was to later become Western Australia colonized and the first convicts arrive at such a station in the following year. This followed the settlement of the Morton Bay district two years earlier than planned, in 1820. In fact at the end of Macquarie’s tenure he had effective control over not only what is now New South Wales but also what is now Queensland, Tasmania, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island, New Caledonia and Western Australia. Near sixty thousand people, both convict and free settler, lay scattered across these territories.
Macquarie was to create the first real police force in 1810. He was to break the importation and use of rum as a currency, granting and taxing the privilege of importing liquor into the colonies. Despite objections by many in London, Macquarie had actively canvassed for more free settlers, a fine prospect for many of Wellington’s veterans that came back to England in 1814 with no jobs and little in the way of prospects. The ready availability of land grants to such former soldiers was to spark a wave of immigration. Without a war to prosecute, the number of convicts transported to Australia was to also leap dramatically. Some 21,000 are sent between 1817 and 1822 alone, severely testing the Colonial authority ability to be able to physically guard and deal with such numbers and also hampering Macquarie’s ability to comply with London’s wishes to cut expenses.
None the less, a proper Court was established in 1815, rendering redundant a need to contact London to determine sentences for more serious crimes. Macquarie established “counties”, forbidding settlement in some so as to appease Aboriginal people that their lands would be protected.
For all this, there were certain areas in failure of policy. One of these was in relations with natives. Macquarie had been inclined to as conciliatory as possible, favouring treaties and had established native schools and a forum where both parties could meet. Despite these seemingly sensible acts, many settlers ignored prohibitions in regards non settlement in reserved areas, provoking confrontations that became increasingly common. The constant stream of complaints from influential people who also had supporters in London eventually influenced Macquarie to abandon a number of these conciliatory policies and instead embark troops on a number of punitive expeditions against that only further raised tensions and led to more conflict. Likewise, the very large numbers of convicts transported and the consequent strain on infrastructure was to see a sharp increase in absconding, with increasing numbers of men turning to bush ranging.
Eventually, Macquarie’s detractors were to have their way. In 1820 London, concerned that Macquarie was allowing far too much free reign to “unlawful and seditious elements”, appointed a Commissioner to report on activities in the Antipodes, this in spite of Macquarie’s strong support from within the Colony. Bigge was to arrive in Sydney in mid-1820 in the company of three Catholic priests who were to build the first Catholic Church in Sydney, St David’s, and a further sign of Macquarie’s laxity in the eyes of Bigge. His large three volume report that was released in early in 1822. On the 1st December 1822, Macquarie was replaced by Thomas Brisbane.
- johnboy
- Word Count: 720