Castle Hill convict rebellion

In early March 1804, a group of convicts in the British colony of New South Wales staged an uprising that became known as the Castle Hill convict rebellion, or the Battle of Vinegar Hill. The rebellion was led by men who had fought in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and the poorly armed insurgents faced colonial troops at Rouse Hill on 5 March 1804. Their defeat was celebrated by loyalists as "Australia's Vinegar Hill," a reference to the 1798 battle in Ireland where the United Irishmen were crushed. This event is often considered the second major convict revolt in Australian history to be put down under martial law, following the 1800 convict rebellion at Parramatta.

The trouble began on the evening of 4 March 1804, when 233 convicts, under the command of Philip Cunningham—a veteran of the 1798 Irish Rebellion and a mutineer from the convict transport *Anne*—escaped from a prison farm. Their aim was to seize ships and sail to Ireland. In response, martial law was quickly declared across the colony. The mostly Irish rebels gathered reinforcements and were pursued by colonial forces led by George Johnston. They were finally cornered on Rouse Hill the following day.

During negotiations under a flag of truce, Cunningham was arrested. Johnston’s troops then charged, scattering the rebels and ending the rebellion. Nine rebel leaders were executed, and hundreds were punished. Martial law was lifted a week after the battle.

Many convicts in the Castle Hill area had been part of the United Irish movement and had been transported to New South Wales as exiles after the 1798 rebellion. In September 1800, an earlier Irish conspiracy had been uncovered, with plans to seize Parramatta and Sydney, then live off settlers’ farms until word arrived from France. In early 1804, news of Robert Emmet’s failed rising in Dublin the previous July sparked a new plot. Cunningham and another Irish convict, William Johnston, organized an uprising. Over 685 convicts from Castle Hill were meant to join nearly 1,100 from the Hawkesbury River area, rally at Constitution Hill, and march on Parramatta and Sydney. According to historian Helen Mackay, their goal was to establish Irish rule in the colony and secure ships for those who wanted to return to Ireland to revive the failed 1803 rebellion.

At 8:00 pm on 4 March 1804, John Cavenah set fire to his hut at Castle Hill as the signal.