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Black Founders: The Unknown Story of Australia's First Black Settlers
In this compelling new book, distinguished historian and writer Cassandra Pybus reveals that black convicts were among our first fleet settlers—a fact which profoundly complicates our understanding of race relations in early colonial Australia. Most of these black founders were originally slaves from America who had sought freedom with the British during the American Revolution only to find themselves abandoned and unemployed in England when the war was over. Pybus' stories include the notorious runaway 'Black Caesar', who became our first bushranger, and the wonderfully subversive Billie Blue, who was the first ferryman on Sydney Harbour, after whom Blues Point is named.
232 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
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About the author
Cassandra Pybus
18 books21 followersCassandra Pybus is ARC Professorial Fellow in the School of History and Classics at the University of Tasmania. She is the author of many books including Community of Thieves and The Devil and James McAuley, winner of the 2000 Adelaide Festival Award for non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 21, 2011
‘Australia’s first bushranger was as black as pitch. He was not Aboriginal, as some might suppose.’
In 1788, when the First Fleet arrived in Australia, eleven of the convicts were black. A twelfth man, William Blue, was transported a few years later. Who were these men? And how did they come to be transported to Australia from Britain when each of them was living in America during the American War of Independence?
It seems likely that these were all African-American men who fought for the British during the American War of Independence and then either left direct for England, or moved to England via Nova Scotia. In an attempt to derail the revolutionary movement, Lord Dunmore (the British Governor in Virginia), opportunistically offered freedom to ‘all indented servants, Negroes or others that are able and willing to bear arms’. The declaration was dated 7 November 1775. As a consequence, hundreds of black men joined Dunmore’s newly created ‘Ethiopian Regiment’ to fight against their masters. The fate of many of these men was bitter: small pox decimated the regiment, and Britain’s defeat left thousands of slaves to the mercy of their former owners. As the British fleet prepared for evacuation, freed black people scrambled for a place on the last ships to leave New York. Those who obtained a berth, and thus were recorded in ‘The Book of Negroes’, discovered a new world of problems in London. Unemployment was high, few of the men had marketable skills and many sank into destitution. Inevitably, some of them fell foul of the law, were convicted of various crimes and sentenced to transportation. Their destination was to be the new penal colony of New South Wales.
Cassandra Pybus undertook research in Australia, Canada the United Kingdom and the United States in order to write this book. She argues that ‘the tendency to read late nineteenth and twentieth century racial assumptions into early colonial Australia is almost universal among historians and social commentators, regardless of what side of the history wars they fight’. And what does this mean for our sense of identity in colonial times and beyond? There never was a ‘White Australia’ either before Federation or after.
Only two of the twelve men are likely to familiar to some Australians: the ferryman William (Billy) Blue, whose likeness hangs in the Mitchell Library in Sydney, and the bushranger known as Black Caesar. Another of the men, John ‘Black Jack’ Williams, became a Kangaroo Island sealer. Less is known about the other nine men.
Working from fragmentary sources, Cassandra Pybus has reconstructed at least parts of the lives of these twelve men, and provides a different view of Australia’s early years.
I found this book fascinating. I understand – in general terms - the proximity of the American War of Independence to the establishment of a penal colony in New South Wales but not the specific series of events that resulted in these men being transported to Australia.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In 1788, when the First Fleet arrived in Australia, eleven of the convicts were black. A twelfth man, William Blue, was transported a few years later. Who were these men? And how did they come to be transported to Australia from Britain when each of them was living in America during the American War of Independence?
It seems likely that these were all African-American men who fought for the British during the American War of Independence and then either left direct for England, or moved to England via Nova Scotia. In an attempt to derail the revolutionary movement, Lord Dunmore (the British Governor in Virginia), opportunistically offered freedom to ‘all indented servants, Negroes or others that are able and willing to bear arms’. The declaration was dated 7 November 1775. As a consequence, hundreds of black men joined Dunmore’s newly created ‘Ethiopian Regiment’ to fight against their masters. The fate of many of these men was bitter: small pox decimated the regiment, and Britain’s defeat left thousands of slaves to the mercy of their former owners. As the British fleet prepared for evacuation, freed black people scrambled for a place on the last ships to leave New York. Those who obtained a berth, and thus were recorded in ‘The Book of Negroes’, discovered a new world of problems in London. Unemployment was high, few of the men had marketable skills and many sank into destitution. Inevitably, some of them fell foul of the law, were convicted of various crimes and sentenced to transportation. Their destination was to be the new penal colony of New South Wales.
Cassandra Pybus undertook research in Australia, Canada the United Kingdom and the United States in order to write this book. She argues that ‘the tendency to read late nineteenth and twentieth century racial assumptions into early colonial Australia is almost universal among historians and social commentators, regardless of what side of the history wars they fight’. And what does this mean for our sense of identity in colonial times and beyond? There never was a ‘White Australia’ either before Federation or after.
Only two of the twelve men are likely to familiar to some Australians: the ferryman William (Billy) Blue, whose likeness hangs in the Mitchell Library in Sydney, and the bushranger known as Black Caesar. Another of the men, John ‘Black Jack’ Williams, became a Kangaroo Island sealer. Less is known about the other nine men.
Working from fragmentary sources, Cassandra Pybus has reconstructed at least parts of the lives of these twelve men, and provides a different view of Australia’s early years.
I found this book fascinating. I understand – in general terms - the proximity of the American War of Independence to the establishment of a penal colony in New South Wales but not the specific series of events that resulted in these men being transported to Australia.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 11, 2020
There are a few minor errors when it comes to an ancestor of mine, 'Ann Randall' though on the whole, Cassandra Pybus' work is the best I've seen that indicates the desperation of the early colony.
While I appreciate Pybus' analysis and prose to a great degree, her concluding statement regarding a fluid racial hierarchy does not gel with me.
Her thesis is primarily surrounding the relationship of black convicts to the colonial structure that emerged in early Sydney. However, she notes that 'Aborigines' (the term Aboriginal is now the most predominantly used pronoun) would view the black convicts as equally alien as those whites that came to be in this land.
I feel this is somewhat lacking though, not without cause.
John Randall for instance, would have accompanied several expeditions, which is noted by Pybus though was not capable of self-recording events witnessed by him. He was illiterate. It is such a tantalising prospect to see these men and try to gauge their relationships to, what could be called, 'another Black Australia'. Which unfortunately appears a difficult prospect to say the least.
Though it is difficult to analyse I also would have enjoyed some treatment of the children of these men and women, to assess how they were placed into an Australia that was increasingly racially disparate and showing the signs of segregation.
Apart from these aspects, I thoroughly enjoyed Pybus' work. Her introduction set in the Americas allows readers to understand the ways of life that the men lived - to begin life for example, as a slave, before being sentenced and served transportation to another 'New World'.
While I appreciate Pybus' analysis and prose to a great degree, her concluding statement regarding a fluid racial hierarchy does not gel with me.
Her thesis is primarily surrounding the relationship of black convicts to the colonial structure that emerged in early Sydney. However, she notes that 'Aborigines' (the term Aboriginal is now the most predominantly used pronoun) would view the black convicts as equally alien as those whites that came to be in this land.
I feel this is somewhat lacking though, not without cause.
John Randall for instance, would have accompanied several expeditions, which is noted by Pybus though was not capable of self-recording events witnessed by him. He was illiterate. It is such a tantalising prospect to see these men and try to gauge their relationships to, what could be called, 'another Black Australia'. Which unfortunately appears a difficult prospect to say the least.
Though it is difficult to analyse I also would have enjoyed some treatment of the children of these men and women, to assess how they were placed into an Australia that was increasingly racially disparate and showing the signs of segregation.
Apart from these aspects, I thoroughly enjoyed Pybus' work. Her introduction set in the Americas allows readers to understand the ways of life that the men lived - to begin life for example, as a slave, before being sentenced and served transportation to another 'New World'.
April 29, 2020
Another example of excellent research, clear writing and a passion for truth telling. I was aware of the presence of black people other than the native population especially in Tasmania. This book casts light on the multi-cultural origins of Australia. And it's focus is on transportation and its aftermath.
I had always been aware of the presence of black settlers, my own great grandfather was called, Black Billy the Samoan in Hobart in the mid 1800's. But he was not transported, many others were and, as to the book, it's a genuine eye opener for those interested in the reality of our first settlers. I do think it's an important book and it's also very enjoyable read.
I had always been aware of the presence of black settlers, my own great grandfather was called, Black Billy the Samoan in Hobart in the mid 1800's. But he was not transported, many others were and, as to the book, it's a genuine eye opener for those interested in the reality of our first settlers. I do think it's an important book and it's also very enjoyable read.
February 6, 2019
mine is different as i am a direct 6th generation of the man called John Randall great reading in my view
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews