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.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Meet at the Cenotaph, Martin Place 10 minutes before the tour starts. (There will be a break for lunch during the tour)

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 make sure you take it with you on the day in case the tutor needs to contact you. 

COURSE OUTLINE

• John Macarthur and the Rum Corps: GPO, Martin Place, Wynyard Park. 
• Rebellion and aftermath: George St, Museum of Sydney, Church Hill, Circular Quay.
• Macquarie’s solutions: O’Connell and Bligh Streets, Macquarie St - Parliament House, Sydney Hospital, Mint.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Describe the causes and consequences of the Rebellion
• Identify the location and sequence of events 
• Discuss the relative importance of personalities and colonial context in how the Rebellion eventuated.