Castle Hill Rebellion
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The Castle Hill Rebellion, also called the Irish Rebellion of 1804 and also known as the second Battle of Vinegar Hill was led by two men named Cunningham and Johnston. it was the first rebellion in Australia's history involving Irish convicts. Martial law was enacted for over a week during which time many dozens, some say up to one hundred and twenty, were killed in the fields and paddocks of today's Rouse Hill / Kellyville, located north west of Sydney some 40 or so kilometres.
The killing fields are within eye sight of the prison town, the 'Castle Hill Settlement Site', recognised in March 1986 as making entry onto the prestigious Australian Registry of the National Estate (Place ID: 2964). This has not stopped developers, the local council of Baulkham Hills, and the state government of New South Wales from diminishing this landscape. Of the original 35,000 acres (1799) only 200 acres (circa 1815) was preserved at the time and today less that 50 acres is conserved as a permenant reminder as Castle Hill Heritage Park (2004), dedicated exactly two hundred years after the uprising and rebellion of 1804.
Many were sent to this prison town who had been involved in the uprisings of 1798, then exiled to the Colony of New South Wales without any hope of return from late 1799. On arrival each was interviewed by Govn. Gidley King to assertain who they were, what they were charged with, and how long was the sentence.
First used from midnight Sunday 4th March, 1804 under the auspices of posse comitatus (common law), the militia was the best hope the British had of supressing the rebelling convicts, who greatly outnumbered the Red Coats. Marshall law was lifted ten days later.
The down side for future generations and historians is that very little was recorded at the time, as the whole idea was that a member of the militia was protected from legal proceedings as they were under direct instruction of the Military.
The convicts rose up at Castle Hill, planned to meet with nearly 1000 convicts from the Hawkesbury and together, around 1500, they would march first on Parramatta and then onto Sydney (Port Jackson).
Their dream was that of a New Ireland, not a New South Wales.
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