Moreton Bay

Winston Churchill is said to have described the tradition of the Royal British Navy as nothing but "rum, buggery and the lash." Whether factual or modern fable, the description is certainly applicable to the character of the officers in charge of the convicts who first came to Australia. We began this unit looking at a ballad written by a convict, possibly at the time of Captain Logan's death which this ballad celebrates.

Understanding Australia's early history as a penal colony is critical to understanding Australian history and its people's notions of liberty. It provides a stark contrast to our own history, and yet has interesting parallels. I have heard that at the start of the Revolutionary War, many Americans saw themselves as superior to the British and were disgusted by their carrying on. They despised being ruled by men of questionable character and their activities were repugnant to the deeply held religious values of the Americans.

The character they were dealing with is made evident by even a cursory examination of Australia's early history. So here is our starting point (the text is rather violent, so you might want to listen to it before sharing with younger children):



(The text of the ballad is available here.)

Discovering the seeds of liberty is central to our studies of history and this is why I selected this ballad. Yes, it is violent. But this period of history was very violent. Note the phrases in the ballad which give rise to a yearning for liberty:

...banished now from my native shore,
...stole me...
...prisoner...
...in chains
Excessive tyranny each day prevails.

...beastly treated
...heavy irons...
...flogging...lacerated
...painted with my crimson gore
...starvation...
...mangled...

Like the Egyptians and ancient Hebrews
We were oppressed under Logan's yoke...
...tyrant...
And when from bondage we are liberated
Our former sufferings will fade from mind.

They may have been convicts, but the treatment was brutal.

Because Australia was a penal colony at the time, little emphasis was placed on education. There was also a sort of "caste" system in place from early on, which will give rise to great conflict later. It is a struggle for liberty against an unjust system.

That is why a man who steals a sheep and prefers death to capture has been immortalized in a song which came close to becoming Australia's national anthem: Waltzing Matilda. And while we may have a fascination for our outlaws such as Jesse James, I think it is significant to note that some of these characters in Australian history, such as Ned Kelley, seem to have earned the status of hero. Not for their crimes, but for their strivings against the oppression which was put in place by Great Britain.

More historical information about this period may be found in this article, Convicts and the British Colonies.