Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Swords to Ploughshares? The 1798 Irish Rebels in New South Wales

1998; Liverpool University Press; Issue: 75 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/27516597

1839-3039

Anne-Maree Whitaker, Anne‐Marie Whitaker,

Commonwealth, Australian Politics and Federalism

shipped to the distant 'thief colony' of New South Wales, the first arriving on two ships in 1800.' Some were relatively senior United Irishmen who had been charged before the outbreak of the rising, many from Cork and others from the northern counties. Others had participated in the major theatres of the rebellion in Wexford, Wicklow, the midlands and the north, but not necessarily with a prior political involvement with the United Irishmen or kindred organisations. Neil Kerrigan claimed to have been the first man to shake General Humbert's hand when he landed in Mayo in September 1798. Michael Downes was reputedly the rebel captain responsible for the notorious massacre of loyalists at Scullabogue, Co. Wexford.2 Matthew Sutton, a barrister and United Irishman, had been a close aide of the commander of the Wexford rebels, Fr Philip Roche. Joseph Holt had been the general of the remnants of the Wexford forces when they retreated to Wicklow after Vinegar Hill.3 The impact of the 1798 exiles in their destination was profound. In 1800, when the Minerva and Friendship arrived from Ireland, Sydney was a twelve-year old settlement with a population of some 2,500, of whom 43% were convicts. The combined population of Parramatta and Toongabbie was slightly under 1,500, of whom over two-thirds were convicts. The Hawkesbury was predominantly a free settlement, with convicts comprising only 13% of its 1,100 residents. The military were mainly concentrated in Sydney, with small garrisons at the other settlements. The economic viability of the colony was still very uncertain, with 1799 having seen the first of a disastrous series of floods at the Hawkesbury, which was the main crop-growing district. As late as 1813 ships were sent to India for emergency food supplies. The Irish could scent the vulnerability of their place of exile, and as a result their rebelliousness continued. In New South Wales it was particularly coupled with the desire to escape, in order to return to their homeland and assist in the anticipated renewal of rebellion. There were disturbances throughout 1800: in February a seditious gathering was broken up in Sydney, and in May another plot was reported. In September and October further conspiracies were investigated, and supposed participants flogged or sent to Norfolk Island. In December, a plot on Norfolk Island was forestalled by the execution of two of its leaders. More ships arrived from Ireland the Anne in 1801, followed by Atlas I, Atlas II and Hercules in 1802. Each brought more veterans of the rebellion, and more news of continuing unrest in the Irish countryside. However the failure of the 1800 conspiracies in Sydney had weakened the enthusiasm of the Irish political exiles for armed uprising in New South Wales; many preferring to take their chances escaping individually on American whalers. The permission to the Catholic priest Fr James Dixon to exercise his ministry also had a salutary effect, and on 1 March 1804 Governor Philip Gidley King wrote to London that the Irish were behaving well. Little did he know what was looming.