Australian Coups

Today is Australia Day, which is the national holiday of Australia. The holiday celebrates the arrival of the 'First Fleet' under the command of Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove in the year 1788. This British fleet would mark the first permanent European settlement of Australia. (Remember that the Aboriginal peoples were living in Australia for centuries prior to the first Europeans doing so.)

Twenty years to the day after the arrival of the first fleet, Australia went through its first and only coups. The Governor of the colony of New South Wales, one William Bligh (yes, that William Bligh), was overthrown by elements of the military and economic and political elements within the colony. This event is called the Rum Rebellion. The government of Australia has remained stable since then, although Prime Minister Harold Holt did disappear while swimming in 1967.

Going to the History Reference Center database in Galileo and performing a search for Australia and Rum Rebellion yields some articles related to the event.

JF