Crooked and useless
The story of the first 22 years of the colony is pretty well known. The governors were all naval men. The security of the colony was in the hands, for almost all the 22 years, of a specially raised army regiment called the New South Wales Corps. This unit was made up from the sweepings of the British army.
Considering Britain was at war with France for most of these 22 years, its better troops could not be afforded, so most NSW Corps officers were half-pay men, and many of the troops were military prisoners given an option to get out if they went to New South Wales. In this context the half-pay officers weren't normal officers awaiting placement, but useless and often crooked men, even more so than Lachlan, and without Lachlan's purpose of supporting his clan and its chieftain.
No, they were crooked because they were truly criminally minded, as a means of bettering no-one but themselves. Others were on half-pay because they were cruel martinets, too much even for the army of those days. Others because their attitudes were wrong, or they were suspected of cowardice. Nothing that would gain them a court martial, but enough to ensure no-one was desperate enough to take them on for what was a truly desperate fight.
But, just as sending what they regarded as the criminal class off to the other side of the world was, they thought, a happy solution to what they quite wrongly regarded as their problem, but it was also a great way to get rid of a swag of officers and men who were of no value to them at all. In fact, they were actually a burden sitting around in their clubs, or their prison, costing the taxpayer, but doing nothing for what they were costing.
The army and the navy did not communicate at all well. Most of the officers were as crooked as all get out. Most of the governors tried to exercise some control, but the NSW Corps just ignored them. When they had the opportunity they awarded one another substantial land grants, with convict slaves to work on them. They ran the courts as often as they could, criminalising any opponents. And they managed to control most trade into and out of the colony.
And one of the greatest sources of profit was the trade in booze, commonly called "rum", although most of it was ghastly Indian grain alcohol, usually made from wheat. And how had men and women of the slums entertained themselves in the old country? Booze and sex. And things didn't change in New South Wales. The populace consumed stunning quantities of the most appalling grog.
Considering Britain was at war with France for most of these 22 years, its better troops could not be afforded, so most NSW Corps officers were half-pay men, and many of the troops were military prisoners given an option to get out if they went to New South Wales. In this context the half-pay officers weren't normal officers awaiting placement, but useless and often crooked men, even more so than Lachlan, and without Lachlan's purpose of supporting his clan and its chieftain.
No, they were crooked because they were truly criminally minded, as a means of bettering no-one but themselves. Others were on half-pay because they were cruel martinets, too much even for the army of those days. Others because their attitudes were wrong, or they were suspected of cowardice. Nothing that would gain them a court martial, but enough to ensure no-one was desperate enough to take them on for what was a truly desperate fight.
But, just as sending what they regarded as the criminal class off to the other side of the world was, they thought, a happy solution to what they quite wrongly regarded as their problem, but it was also a great way to get rid of a swag of officers and men who were of no value to them at all. In fact, they were actually a burden sitting around in their clubs, or their prison, costing the taxpayer, but doing nothing for what they were costing.
The army and the navy did not communicate at all well. Most of the officers were as crooked as all get out. Most of the governors tried to exercise some control, but the NSW Corps just ignored them. When they had the opportunity they awarded one another substantial land grants, with convict slaves to work on them. They ran the courts as often as they could, criminalising any opponents. And they managed to control most trade into and out of the colony.
And one of the greatest sources of profit was the trade in booze, commonly called "rum", although most of it was ghastly Indian grain alcohol, usually made from wheat. And how had men and women of the slums entertained themselves in the old country? Booze and sex. And things didn't change in New South Wales. The populace consumed stunning quantities of the most appalling grog.