Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker

The real-life Captain Arthur Phillip had been called out of retirement to take on the position of Governor of the first fleet to Australia.

Captain Phillip wanted harmonious relations with the local indigenous peoples, in the belief that everyone in the colony was a British citizen and protected by the law as such, therefore the indigenous peoples had the same rights as everyone under Phillip’s command until cultural differences between the two groups led to conflict.

As the first Governor of New South Wales, a number of places in Australia are named after him, including Port Phillip, Phillip Island, Phillip Street in Sydney’s central business district, the suburb of Phillip in Canberra and the Governor Phillip Tower building in Sydney.

The real Robert Sideway was convicted of the crime of grand larceny for the theft of goods totalling 26 shillings and transported for 7 years. In 1792, he was offered a conditional pardon and in 1794 he was given a contract as a baker for the troops.

By 1796, Sideway had opened a 120 street theatre in Bell Row (now Bligh Street in Sydney). The theatre continued until 1800 when it was closed as a “corrupting influence” – until that time it had a successful repertoire, including Shakespeare.

Sideway also started a public house, and by 1805, he had a licence to serve wine and spirits. His wife, Mary Marshall, who had also arrived on the First Fleet, took over as publican after his death in 1809.

Captain Jemmy Campbell was one of the more disgruntled officers, sending two letters home that were strongly critical of the governorship of Captain Arthur Phillip. He was critical of the settlement and doubted it could succeed.

He sent natural history specimens including a kangaroo skin and drawings by Captain John Hunter back to his patron, Lord Dulcie. Like most of the Marines, he returned to England on the Gorgon in December 1791.

John Arscott was sentenced to be transported for 7 years at Bodmin Assizes on 18th August 1783 for the crime of stealing two silver watches and 30 pounds of tobacco from the dwelling houses of Phillip Polkinghorn and George Thomas.

In the colony, Arscott was in demand for his carpentry skills. Though the character of Arscott in the play talks of finding ‘escape’ through theatre, the real Arscott never actually tried escaping. He was transported to Norfolk Island for a time, before being discharged on his return to Sydney, where he returned to carpentry.

Ralph Clark volunteered to serve in the New South Wales Marine Corps and travelled to Sydney on the Friendship, a ship with largely female convicts. His duties in the colony included guarding convicts and serving on the Criminal court. He also hunted and fished, sending specimens back to England. He kept a vegetable garden on a small island in Port Jackson (the island now known as Clark Island). Most of this produce was quickly stolen and he eventually stopped attempting to keep a garden.

Convicted of stealing 240 shillings, John Caesar was resentenced in April 1789 and had his sentence increased to Transportation for life.

Upon arriving at the colony, he fled into the bush a fortnight later and began stealing food on the outskirts of the settlement. He became known as a bushranger – robbers and outlaws who resided in the Australian bush – stealing, committing arson, and worse.

Robert Ross volunteered for the newly formed New South Wales Marine Corps in 1786 and was designated its commander with the brevet rank of major. From the start of his time in New South Wales, Ross was in conflict with the governor Arthur Phillip and other officers.

Captain David Collins claimed an “inexpressible hatred” for him, and Ralph Clark described him at the time as “without exception the most disagreeable commanding officer I ever knew”.

The real-life Mary Bryant, known as Dabby, was convicted of robbing and assaulting a woman on a road in Plymouth and originally sentenced to hang with her two companions. Before their sentences were commuted to seven years transportation she conceived her first child in the Dunkirk Prison Hulk at Plymouth. and gave birth on the voyage to Sydney to Charlotte.

She married William Bryant on 10th February 1788, who had been on the prison hulk with her, and had another child with him in 1790.

William Faddy was part of the crew sent to Norfolk Island in March 1790. Ralph Clark took his side in an altercation between Faddy and Lieutenant Robert Kellow which ended in a duel between the two men in June 1790.

He was part of the Marines returned to England on the Gorgon in December 1791. Faddy was promoted to Captain Lieutenant in July 1797 and served on the Vanguard from that year until the Battle of the Nile in 1798, dying in action on the first day of conflict.

John Wisehammer was convicted of the theft of snuff and transported for seven years on the vessel, the Friendship. Wisehammer was sentenced to receive 50 lashes for neglect of work in 1790 but fainted after 8 and was forgiven the rest.

He cohabited with Susannah Milledge, another convict. Both he and Milledge spent 1790-1796 on Norfolk Island. It is believed they may both have returned to England after the 7 years’ transportation was complete.

Captain Tench came out of military retirement in 1786 when the Admiralty called for volunteers for a three-year tour forming the New South Wales Marine Corps, and sailed on the transport “Charlotte” in May 1787.

Tench wrote a book describing his experiences of the voyage and the early months of the colony, published in 1789 under the title, “Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay”. The book ran to multiple editions and was translated into French, Dutch, German and Swedish.

The real James Freeman was convicted of highway robbery and the theft of 12 shillings. Originally sentenced to death, his sentence was eventually commuted to seven years transportation. On arrival in Sydney he was caught stealing flour and was sentenced to hang on 1st March 1788.

After a botched hanging two days earlier however, Freeman was offered a pardon on the condition of him becoming the colony’s public executioner. He was 20 years old. He would eventually execute 15 people, including 6 marines and one woman.

Harry Brewer joined the Navy as a volunteer and met Arthur Phillip while both were serving on HMS Alexander. He came out to Botany Bay with Phillip as his clerk. Phillip appointed him as provost-marshal (in charge of Military police), and he acted in the role pending British government approval, which took 4 years.

He initially served as building Superintendant, but in later years he directed the convict constabulary and acted as impounding officer.

The real life Mary Branham had been sentenced at the Old Bailey for stealing two petticoats, one pair of stays, four yards and a half of cloth, one waistcoat, one cap, one pair of cotton stockings, one pair of nankeen breeches and one cloth coat, to a total value of 39 shillings.

Mary was 14 years old when she was sentenced to 7 years’ transportation. During her transport on the Lady Penhryn she became pregnant, and her first child, William, was baptised on 20 July 1788. She and her son were sent to Norfolk Island in 1790.

Ordained in 1783, the real life Reverend Richard Johnson and his wife came to Sydney on the Golden Grove, conducting a service every Sunday and reading prayers every evening. On arrival in Sydney, he continued to hold Sunday services in the open air or sometimes in a large store.

He and his wife started a small farm, and by the end of 1788, were growing enough vegetables for their own needs.