Rum Rebellion Rum Rebellion The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was the only successful armed takeover of government in Australian history. During the 19th century, it was widely referred to as "the Great Rebellion". On 26 January 1808, 20 years to the day after Arthur Phillip founded the first European settlement in Australia, the New South Wales Corps under the command of Major George Johnston, working closely with John Macarthur, deposed the Governor of New South Wales, William Bligh. Afterwards, the military ruled the colony, with the senior military officer stationed in Sydney acting as the lieutenant-governor of New South Wales until the
A History of the Early Part of the Reign of James II portion of that spirit of liberty which he & he alone preserved in this country for years". Reviewing the book in the "Edinburgh Review", Francis Jeffrey praised it as "the only appeal to the old principles of English constitutional freedom, and the only expression of those firm and temperate sentiments of independence, which are the peculiar produce, and natural protection of our mixed government, which we recollect to ave met with for very many years". According to Lord John Russell the book was "a work which contains more sound constitutional opinions than any other history which I am acquainted". The