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Convict Legacy- Page 1

"The 'typical Australian' ethos was developed by the convict, working-class, Irish and native born" Russel Ward

Like laws, morality tends to be developed in response to problems in society. For the first 80 years of Australia's urban existence, convicts presented a problem for the new society. Minor problems included theft and difficulty in keeping stores locked. As everyone was in the same boat, Exclusives and Convicts alike, the theft of food was a concern for everyone. Honesty and character tests thus became valued commodities in the colony.

Although theft was a concern, a more serious problem was the Exclusives attitudes towards Convicts and their offspring. It was a prejudice that threatened the social fabric of a people needing to work together to survive. It was a prejudice that saw the barbaric treatment of men, which in turn turned some of them into sociopaths intent on revenge on all mankind. It was a prejudice that saw women raped, then vilified for not knowing the father of their children. In response to these problems, the community developed some morality to address them. This morality included a fierce belief in egalitarianism, a desire to shock the wowser, a hatred of whinging, support for the underdog, and an understatement belief in humanity.

Mateship - (The chains that bind)

The word 'mate' covers all relationships that are important, after the family ones. A 'mate' is more than a friend, suggesting a mutual closeness. Contrary to misconception, it is a gender neutral term that used by, and in reference to, both men and women.

The importance Convicts placed on mateship can be seen in the words of a Convict who once wrote:

"Men betraying their companions or accepting authority over them, are often called "dogs", and sometimes have their noses bitten off- the morsel being termed "a mouthfull of a dog's nose"

 It has long be known in psychological circles that social bonding coincides with extreme hardship. (For this reason, defence force training inflicts hardship upon new recruits so as to foster such bonding.) Consequently, the hardships endured by Convicts caused them to feel a great sense of reliance upon each other.

  A sense of mateship was also particularly strong amongst the Convict women who relied upon mateship to defy those who judged their 'loose morality'. A notable example of such an occurrence was in 1838 when the Governor of Van Diemens Land visited the Cascades Female Factory in Hobart.  The Governor addressed the women from an elevated elevated dais. Then:

  This cheeky behaviour 'horrified and astounded'  the Governor and the male members of the party. As for the ladies in the Governor's party, it was said, in a rare moment of collusion with the Convict women, 'could not control their laughter'.

 
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She'll be right - (Defiant Convicts deny their tormentors pleasure)

"Australians have confidence, they are comfortable, positive, self assured, happy, believe that everything will turn out well'. 'Ask someone in Australia how they are going and the automatic reply will be "good thanks"'

When Australians encounter whinges who are not happy, they generally give advice such as "she'll be right", "no worries", "shit happens" and finally, "deal with it or get over it!"

The reluctance of Australians to complain can be traced to the Convict's desire to deny the overseer the pleasure of seeing them in pain:

'The convict flagellator at this time "felt a gratification in inflicting and witnessing human misery." There were many prisoners who would bear any punishment rather than complain; I am certain that they would have died at the triangle rather than utter a grown'.

  Convicts also stopped complaining for fear of being lashed:

"One man had been sentenced to seven years transportation to the coast of Africa in August 1782, and there is no doubt that his sentence had now been served. But when he pointed this out forcefully to Ross and Phillip he was given six hundred lashes and put in irons for six months for his insolence." 

Finally, it became good manners to abstain from whinging:

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Egalitarian ethic - (Convicts want to be judged on substance rather labels)  

"An ethos of friendly egalitarianism is as much a part of this country as Sydney's Opera House. It's rooted in Australia's beginnings as a society of convicts and ex-convicts seeking a fresh start."

"Thus the Australian cherishes the idea of walking up to the Queen or the Governor-General and being able to exclaim "G'Day."

 The egalitarian ethic refers to the tendency of Australians to judge others on their basis of their substance rather than their bank account, race, breeding or title. It is due to this ethic that Australians from differing social classes mix to a degree rarely found in other countries. (Of course many Australians with no substance aside from their bank account refer to this egalitarian ethic as the 'tall poppy syndrome'. ) 

 Due to this egalitarian ethic, it is difficult to ascertain an Australian's wealth by looking at the cloths they wear or the car they drive. One may be sitting in a pub next to someone wearing thongs and a dirty T-shirt only to then discover that the same person is a multi millionaire. 

Rosey Golds, a social commentator for ABC radio, touched on the Convict origins of the egalitarian ethic/tall poppy syndrome when she said:

"The tall poppy syndrome expressed our great reluctance to defer to authority figures (and thus establish a new class system) and our abhorrence towards a society predicated on the worship of money. We mocked the desire to impress. There was a great Australian proverb used to describe the wealthy graziers who came down from the country on holiday breaks flaunting their Akubras - the wider the brim the smaller the property "

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Taking the piss - (Convicts laugh at their misfortune)

"Humor is an essential part of the Australian personality. Their humor is often aimed at themselves or their country, and is often self-deprecating. "

Australians have a tendency to laugh at the misfortunes suffered by their mates. Rather than become angry by the joke, the unfortunate individual laughs as well. For example, an Australian on Safari in Botswana and was attacked by a lion. When his friends back in Australia were told of the event, they laughed. As for the poor individual, he was walking about the hospital with bandages all over his head and came upon an Indian wearing a turban. He subsequently asked the Indian whether he had been attacked by a lion as well!

Obviously, making jokes about someone else's misfortunes is a risky practice as there is a fine line between a joke and an insult. Consequently, piss taking is a skill that only a true artisan can implement effectively. Basically, the Australian piss taker makes a joke that demonstrates  lateral thought and does it in a way that makes the target feel better about themselves.

Perhaps the origins of this style of humour lay with the need of convicts to come to terms with failure. Whenever one undertakes a task for the first time, stumbles are common. As the Convicts had never been schooled in Australian geography, Australian climate or how to escape, many of their enterprising schemes were not successful. Laughter may have helped them feel better about what they had tried to achieve and in so doing, encouraged them to keep experimenting and persevering in the future.

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Honesty - (Convicts believe the Exclusives are the real crooks)

I n 1987 an international observer wrote :

 " Australia is a safe country, a place where street crime is minimal, people trust each other to an amazing extent, and where news vendors leave honesty boxes for buyers to deposit their coins while they go to the pub for a drink. You will not get short changed, your not likely to get robbed, and you can walk in peace any part of town at any hour of the day or night"

 Honesty is central to an Australian's identity. In fact, it is a boast of working class Australians that whilst they are not rich, they are honest. This pride in honesty may stem from: 

1. Convicts and Exclusives competing to attain the high moral ground;
2.  Convicts advising others not to do like they have done;
3. Convicts rejecting the lies of officials.

1. Convicts competing for the high moral ground

 Exclusives and Convicts were in competition to attain the high moral ground. The Convict's sense of self-righteousness can be seen in the words of the J.F Mortlock who wrote:

"what is the measure of the guilt of those transported for killing game, or goaded to robbery by famine and destitution? Then, there are innocent men in the position of criminals, who have been erroneously found guilty upon obscure or implausible evidence or misdirection, or who have been made to appear guilty by the false oaths and artful devices of wicked persons interested in effecting their ruin or destruction" 

Self righteousness is also seen in Convict poem:

The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.  

Upon attaining their freedom, many Convicts tried to uphold their sense of self-righteousness by forming emancipist groups that banned anyone who had been convicted in Australia.

 Other Convicts continued to identify with those who pushed the boundaries however their music indicates that they identified with a strong moral code characterised by a firm belief in never robbing the honest nor the poor. This is exemplified in the following extract from the "Wild colonial boy".

"There was a Wild Colonial Boy, 
Jack Doolan was his name, 
Of poor but honest parents
He was born in Castlemaine."

.........................

"He bade the Judge good morning
And told him to beware, 
That he'd never rob a needy man
Or one who acted square,
But a Judge who'd rob a mother
Of her one and only joy
Sure, he must be a worse outlaw than
The Wild Colonial Boy."

2.)Convicts advising others not to do like they have done.

 Few Convicts ever championed the virtues of the path that they had travelled.  Instead, many used every opportunity to tell others the error of their ways. This is seen in a Convict's letter to his mother prior to his execution for attempted robbery:

"My dear mother! With what agony of soul do I dedicate the last few moments of my life, to bid you an eternal adieu! My doom being irrevocably fixed, and ere this hour tomorrow I shall have quitted this vale of wretchedness. I have at last fallen an unhappy, though just, victim of my follies."

Many of the Convict songs also contain warnings to others not to do like they have done:

Now all my young Dookies and Dutchesses
Take warning from what I've to say
Mind all is your own as you toucheses
Or you'll find us in Botany Bay

3.Convicts rejecting the lies of officials

Australians often use honesty in reference to a person (or race-horse) who has substance but may lack flashiness. Australians may compliment someone for "having an honest go" or being an "honest toiler". 

 Over the years, countless politicians have celebrated elitist individuals on the basis that they are community icons when in reality, the community finds them repugnant.  Perhaps pride in the honesty of substance stems from the community rejecting the lie regarding the celebration of such officials. 

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Defiance - ( Convicts of firm convictions)

 Defiance can be defined as "the tendency of people to maintain their conviction in the face of verbal , moral or physical attempts at conformity." Australians have exhibited such defiance for the full 200 years of their country. 

 In the colonial era, Aborigines defied English proclamations of governorship. Likewise, Convicts were flogged mercilessly defied their tormentors by remaining silent thus denying them the pleasure of seeing pain. Defiance was prominent amongst the bushrangers who broke the law. Defiance was equally strong amongst the Bushranger's sympathisers who defied the indignant banter of newspapers by celebrating the bushrangers in song. It was also strong in the female factories where women frequently "exposed her person" to the wowsers who judged them of being of 'loose' morality. 

  In 1854, miners raised the Flag of Stars at the Eureka stockade and defiantly declared the republic of Victoria. Although the rebellion was crushed by colonial troopers, supporters to the present day continue to fly the flag in defiance of the official national flag.  In most Federal referendums of the 20th century, Australians have also shown their defiance by voting 'No' to almost every request made by politicians.

 In 1998, the South Sydney Football club were excluded from playing in the National Rugby League premiership. They subsequently took their case to the courts but were told that their exclusion had been both justified and legal. However the club's supporters defiantly marched on and as the Australian public became more and more endeared by their convictions, the club was eventually readmitted.

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Battler/underdog - (For Convicts, life is tough and dreams don't come true.)

"The true Aussie battler and his wife thrust doggedly onwards: starting again, failing again, implacably thrusting towards success. For success, even if it is only the success of knowing that one has tried to the utmost and never surrendered, is the target of every battler"

  In tough times, people associate themselves with heroes to build their self esteem. As a general rule, Americans like to associate themselves with a champion individual whose success inspires hope that the American dream is alive and well. Contrasted to this, Australians seek inspiration from a fellow battler; someone who does not necessarily succeed but shows great character in the face of adversity. 

 The desire to support the battler is most clearly expressed in the tendency of Australians to support the underdog. In supporting the underdog, Australians are choosing to support someone who is likely to fail. However the losing battler will still inspire Australians if they show persistence and strength of character in the face of their adversity. 

  America's support for the champion and Australia's support for the battler can be explained by looking at the different histories of the two countries. In America, the dream came true. The land was green and fertile. The British were expelled and politicians declared equality for all regardless of race or class. In Australia, the dream failed. The top soil was thin and droughts common. The Convict uprising at Vinegar Hill was ruthlessly crushed as was the Eureka rebellion 50 years later. Ned Kelly led a independence movement only to be captured and hung. Australia's politicians never preached the virtues of being Australian nor did they preach equality of race or class. Just when Gallipoli war hero, John Simpson, seemed to have built an aura of someone with divine protection, he was shot dead.  Don Bradman needed only 4 runs in his last innings to achieve the magical average of 100 but was bowled first ball. Pharlap, the loser horse that became a champion, left Australia to prove his worth in America. He easily won his first race, and then died. 

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The cultural cringe  (Larrikins and Wowsers do not get along)

"The first thing you notice about Australian culture is that it’s pathetically thin..... The thinness means that modern Australia has fallen for American culture in a way that no one else could....Mimicry is a point of pride." (Philip Weiss - American journalist)

It is often said that the difference between Australia and yoghurt is that yoghurt has some culture. In reality, the culture does exist but because it bears the fingerprints of Convicts, a large number of Australians have rejected it in favour of foreign culture.  It seems that stories of 300 women mooning a pompous Governor or a Convict trying to escape by disguising himself as a kangaroo, just don't instil the same nationalistic pride as a great man invading his neighbours, raping, pillaging and subsequently building monuments to his glory.

The cultural cringe commenced in the colonial era. The attitude of the free colonists was to 'extol their rights and principles as Englishmen.' They believed that by rejecting Australian culture and championing English culture, they could express their superiority. Convict songs were labelled "treason music" and those who sang them were flogged. Even free immigrants weren't allowed to be artistic, one was even denied an application to build a theatre as the Governor feared it would allow "Convicts or former Convicts to appear on stage and receive the applause of free men."

As Diana Pittet noted:

 "An incredible silence has pervaded the acceptance of Australian convicts because it threatened notions of British decency. The pressure to disown this history became especially strong in the late nineteenth century when debates about biological determination and notions of race and purity dominated the intellectual climate of the time."

In the 1970s, the huge influx of non-English migrants began to erode English pride. But rather than allowing Australian culture to flower, the English hat was replaced with the hat of multiculturalism. In the words of singer/songwriter Dennis O'Keeffe:

"All too often now we hear of multiculturalism, as though it is some new phenomena thrust upon us. A reason, or even worse, an excuse to forget our past, to discredit the Australians that have gone before us. "

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Humanitarianism (The Convict bond.)

"Without doubt the best quality we observe across the entire Australian community is a natural willingness to pitch in and have a go, to help others. We see it of course whenever there is an emergency or a worthy cause. We see it in every community volunteer organisations from the lifesavers to the bushfire brigades through to the thousands of youth and mature age sporting clubs and those great international service organisations like Rotary and many others. We see it in our professional bodies such as the police, fire and ambulance services and of course in the defence force. It is a generosity of spirit and a selflessness that is perhaps our most precious heritage to hand on to younger and newer Australians - a nation of people who care for and look out for each other. " (Peter Cosgrove, Chief of the Army)

When people are abused, a minority will become abusers themselves whilst the majority will rebel against how they have been treated by trying to stop it happening to others.  Such people have empathy for the suffering of others as they have suffered themselves.

Such behavioural patterns can also be seen in Convicts. Some Convicts became callous murderers whilst others devoted their life to helping other Convicts. Notable examples include William Redfern, James Grant, J.F Mortlock, Molly Morgan and James Squire. The torment of the Convicts also aroused empathy in a few free settlers. Once freeman, Anthony Trollope, wrote of his encounter with an old Convict who was originally incarcerated for mutiny.

"He had always been escaping, always rebelling, always fighting against authority and always being flogged. There had been a whole life of torment such as this, forty two years of it, and there he stood, speaking softly, arguing his case well and pleading while the tears ran down his face for some kindness, for some mercy in his old age. 'I have tried to escape, always to escape', he said, 'as a bird does out of a cage. Is that unnatural? Is that a great crime?'

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History is best left in the past -(Convicts tired of civil war.)

"They who came here in chains, who were lashed while they worked in convict gangs at Port Arthur. They who like many others were driven through starvation or oppression from their home-lands to the shores of this new country, Australia. They, who for a multitude of reasons that hopefully, I or my children will never witness or experience, decided not to harbour grudges or discontent but rather to look to the future. They who embraced this country as their own and said; "let's get on with it, this is a new land, this is our home". Dennis O'Keeffe

 As national identities are usually anchored in a country's history, most nationalities see crimes against their ancestors as crimes against themselves. In Fiji, many indigenous Fijians use history to justify reducing the constitutional rights of Indian Fijians. Similar justifications have been used by indigenous Zimbabweans and Ugandans. In Europe, the Irish use history to justify their hatred of the English. The Dutch use history to justify their hatred of Germans as do the Chinese to justify their hatred of the Japanese. Contrasted to this, very few Australians* would cite Japanese ill treatment of Australian POW as a justification to hate the present generation of Japanese. Similarly, no Australian would cite English ill treatment of Convicts as a justification to hate the English. 

The common ethnicity of Convicts and oppressor denied the Convict's descendants a racial category to define who had 'oppressed them' in generations past. Consequently, it was impossible to identify combatants if a Convict offspring wanted to continue a historical feud.

Nor could a feud be continued using class as a defining category as in the early years, it was emancipated Convicts who were the colony's wealthiest families.

For a time, a feud existed between troopers and emancipist offspring however when the English troops were replaced by native born Australians, the conflict was eroded.

Finally, Australia received massive waves of immigration after World War 2. Many of the migrants wanted to relegate history to the past as they had experienced first hand the negative consequences of bringing the past into the present.

*Some Aborigines use history to justify their hatred of non-Aborigines.

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Wowsers be damned! (Convicts don't like self righteous moralisers)

A wowser has been defined as " an ineffably pious person who mistakes this world for a penitentiary and himself for a warder".

The first wowsers of Australia were the free immigrants who whinged about the economic success that had achieved by ex-Convicts. Such wowsers argued ex-convicts should be excluded from holding official positions as Australia should be a place of punishment of Convicts rather rehabilitation. To support their argument, they criticised the morality of the Convicts and any cultural event that bore their fingerprints. Essentially, this ensured wowsers complained about everything and anything that was Australian.  

As is to be expected, Australians responded to the wowser indignation with indignation of their own. In 1832, 300 Convict women mooned the Governor Tasmania as he was about to give a speech on morality. In 1922, the "Aussie: the cheerful monthly" wrote: 'Wowsers and gloom-merchants are always saying that we spend too much of our time in sport'. In 1930 "Surf: All about It" wrote: "Yet even today, the act of jumping into the Pacific with as little as possible on the body is regarded with gloomy suspicion by the wowsers ". 

The most common wowsers of contemporary times are the elitist class who continue to suffer from a cultural cringe. These people like to whinge that Australians are too sport focussed, uneducated and don't vote the way the wowsers believes they should vote.

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Page 2 of Australian values

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