Hobson Regime (Napoleon's Australian Victory)

The Military Government of New South Wales, commonly called the Hobson Regime, was an authoritarian military dictatorship that ruled the Republic of New South Wales for twenty-six years from 1845 until 1871. It began with the 1845 Naval coup d'etat which toppled the democratically elected government of President Fitzpatrick and replaced it with a junta of naval officers led by Admiral Hobson, who was proclaimed Dictator. The Hobson regime was characterised by biolent repression of all internal oposition, a lack of civil liberties, and complete control over the press. It also presided over a period of important economic, territorial, and population growth in New South Wales. In 1869 a group of army officers, dissatisfied with his perceived bias towards the navy, staged a coup against Hobson. This new junta was even more repressive than Hobson's, and in 1871 a massive popular campaign of demonstrations, armed rebellion, industrial strikes, and international pressure forced the downfall of military rule, and brough back democratic civillian government.

Background
In 1804, a convict rebellion led by exiled Irish republicans resulted in the collapse of British colonial rule in New South Wales. The rebels established a new republican government, electing their leader Phillip Cunningham as president. Although shaky at first, New South Wales' democracy had stabilised by the 1820s into a fully functioning presidential republic. French assistance meant that New South Wales also had a well-supplied and modern military.

The death of Norfolk Island's long-serving dictator Joseph Foveaux in 1845 plunged the island's factions into a bitter power struggle. When news of this reached Sydney, the government of President Fitzpatrick voted to send an expeditionary force to restore order to the island, and reunite it with New South Wales. Fitzpatrick was of the opinion that as the successor to the Colony of New South Wales, the Republic had inherited Norfolk Island as well. Admiral Hobson was selected to lead the expedition: three frigates and two sloops and a detachment of marines. The expedition arrived at Norfolk Island without incident, and very quickly restored order and New South Welsh sovereignity. Hobson took on the administration of the island, directing the rebuilding of destroyed buildings and overseeing the harvest. When news reached Sydney of the success of the mission, there was much public joy, and the government considered appointing Hobson permanent Administrator of the Island as reward.

The reception of the news in Hobart, however, was vastly different. The government of Van Diemen's land had always considered itself the legitimate successor to the Colony of New South Wales, and thus it was Van Diemen's Land, and not New South Wales, which had the legitimate claim to Norfolk Island. The Vandiemonian parliament authorised its own expeditionary force to remove the New South Welsh from Norfolk Island and instate Vandiemonian rule.

The Vandiemonian expedition outnumbered the forces available to Hobson -two ships having returned to Sydney since the restoration of order- and after a valiant attempt to repel the invaders, Hobson was forced to retreat to Sydney for reinforcements. Upon his arrival in Sydney, however, the Fitzpatrick government denied his request for reinforcements, and instead sent an envoy to Hobart accepting Vandiemonian sovereignity over the island. Historians view Fitzpatrick's reasoning for this decision as fairly sound; his government was not universally popular and a war could lead to loss at the upcoming election, and the conciliatory policies of Napoleon II meant that he could not rely on France for assistance.

Hobson and the naval heirarchy did not accept Fitzgerald's reasoning, and publicly voiced their outrage. Hobson in particular was bitterly disappointed at the prospect of losing his appointment as Administrator of the Island. Using his connexions, Hobson printed an open letter to the President in the Sydney Republican titled "Stabbed in the Back". The letter claimed that victory had been achieveable, and that had the government not stabbed the navy in the back by appeasing Van Diemen's Land. The letter brought many Sydneysiders over to Hobson's side, and many public voices urged the government not to ratify the agreement with the Vandiemonian government.

Coup d'etat
On the 14th of November, the New South Welsh Assembly had gethered to vote on ratifying the agreement with Van Diemen's Land. It was generally accepted that this was a mere formality, as the document had the support of the vast majority.

As the deputies entered the chamber, Admiral Hobson and one hundred marines disembarked his flagship, the Medusa, and, after forming up, marched from Sydney Cove to Government House with Hobson at their head. The sentries posted at the Assembly gate saluted Hobson and allowed him to pass unopposed. It was only in the antechamber that Hobson encountered any resistance: Franny Fitzpatrick, the twenty-year-old daughter of the President, realising what was afoot, set upon Hobson with her parasol before being taken into custody by a marine sergeant. The parasol is currently held in the National Museum.

After that brief altercation, Hobson and his force burst into the chamber. Marines guarded all the exits, and Hobson read out a proclamation dissolving the Assembly, replacing it with a Military Council, and appointing himself Dictator (it should be noted that at the time, the term "dictator" was still used with its classical Roman connotations of a person taking control in times of emergency, and was not necessarily pejorative). Hobson then departed with a smaller detatchment of marines to the Presidential residence, one block away. On entering the house they found it seemingly deserted, however upon further searching President Fitzpatrick was discovered to have been hiding under his bed. This fact was capitalised upon by the new regime, who printed a smear campaign labelling Fitzpatrick a coward.