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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ006103S
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00:29 This is one of the most dramatic and most photographed views
00:33 in all the world, it's the iconic image of the 00:37 Sydney Harbor Bridge and the spectacular Opera House. 00:42 There is no other building in all the world like the 00:45 Sydney Opera House, it's one of the great buildings of the 00:48 20th century, it's an architectural masterpiece 00:52 with its unique gleaming white roof of interlocking vaulted 00:58 sail-shaped shells, its Australia's best-known 01:02 landmark. But, it's not well-known that the land 01:07 where the Opera House sits is known as Bennelong Point. 01:11 It's named after a man of the Eora Tribe an aboriginal 01:16 Koori people the original inhabitants of this country. 01:20 Bennelong was a local Aborigine who served as a liaison between 01:26 Australia's first British Settlers and the local 01:29 population, he was the first aboriginal man to visit Europe 01:33 and return. 01:35 Bennelong lived in a small building on this site 01:39 that now carries his name. 01:41 Then in the early 1800's the New South Wales governor 01:46 Lachlan Macquarie instructed that a large impressive stone 01:50 fort to be built on the site to protect the colony. 01:53 By 1902 the stone fort was replaced by a train depot 02:00 and then a bus terminus and finally the Opera House. 02:04 Beside the opera house, you can still see the heritage 02:09 listed jetty built in 1810 called the Man O' War Steps. 02:14 For 150 years The Man O' War Steps were the landing and 02:21 embarkation point for men of the British and Australian 02:25 fleets. Right by the steps were the beautiful Sydney Harbor 02:30 Botanical Gardens that wrap around this small inlet 02:34 called Farm Cove. It was here that the early settlers 02:38 planted the first crops to feed the struggling new colony. 02:42 On the other side of The Opera House is in Sydney Cove 02:47 the heart of the city, today it's better known as 02:50 Circular Key, a tourist precinct, a transport hub 02:55 for the harbor ferries, hydrofoils, and river cats 02:58 and the historic Rocks Heritage Area 03:02 but now let's step back in history about 250 years. 03:08 In the late 18th century Britain the Industrial Revolution 03:15 caused widespread economic displacement as new machines 03:21 were invented, people were no longer needed to do farm jobs 03:25 so people flocked to the cities looking for work. 03:29 The cities became overcrowded, the unemployment and poverty 03:34 in the overcrowded cities saw the crime rate rises dramatically 03:39 desperate people turned to petty crime just to survive. 03:44 Soon, Britain was struggling to accommodate the prisoners 03:49 as the jails became increasingly overcrowded. 03:53 Then under English law criminals were transported to 03:59 penal colonies. 04:00 At first British prisoners were sent to the colonies in 04:04 North America but in 1783 when the American War of Independence 04:11 ended, the newly formed United States refused to accept 04:15 any further shipments of British convicts, as a result, 04:20 prisons in Britain were soon overflowing again. 04:23 The situation became dire and an alternative was needed 04:29 so the British government decided that the vast southern 04:34 continent claimed for Britain by the explorer Captain James Cook 04:39 in 1770 would be an ideal location for a new penal colony 04:44 it seemed a great idea to transport your prisoners to the 04:49 the other end of the world. 04:51 The first fleet of 11 ships carrying more than 752 prisoners 04:57 or convicts as they were called departed Portsmouth, England 05:02 on the 13th of May 1787. 05:05 After a voyage lasting 250 days and covering 20,000 km 05:12 they arrived in this cove on the 26th of January, 1788, 05:19 it was the beginning of an era transporting British prisoners 05:23 to Australia. 05:25 Between 1788 and 1868 in just 80 years about 165,000 convicts 05:34 were transported from Britain and Ireland to various places 05:39 in Australia. The newly arrived convicts faced many challenges 05:44 they were isolated from their family and friends, 05:47 they were transported to a distant and alien land, 05:51 they arrived despised and disadvantaged. 05:54 Their lives were filled with adversity and toil, 05:59 yet in spite of their hardships and handicaps, many rose above 06:04 the challenges worked hard, gained their freedom eventually 06:08 and not only succeeded in proving themselves to be upright 06:13 and reliable citizens of their new land but also contributed 06:18 enormously to its development. 06:21 Some of their stories are surprising and truly inspiring 06:25 especially those that are representative of all who 06:30 transform and survived and thrived in their adopted 06:34 country, but perhaps what's even more surprising 06:38 is the common link that united and influenced them all. 06:43 Join me on a journey through the annals of early 06:48 European Australia. 07:05 Do you think a convicted forger could ever be honored with his 07:09 face printed on a country's banknote? 07:12 Well, it actually happened. 07:14 The first Australian decimal currency ten dollar note 07:18 in circulation from 1966 to 1993 had the face of a convict 07:24 who committed forgery on it. 07:27 Who was this man? and why was he considered worthy 07:31 of being remembered with his face being emblazoned 07:34 on a banknote? 07:36 Francis Greenway was born near Bristol, England in 1777 07:41 to a family of builders, stone masons, and architects. 07:46 Greenway set up an architectural firm in Bristol until 07:50 his business went bankrupt in 1809. 07:53 In difficult financial circumstances in January 1812 07:58 Greenway forged a note on a building contract that said 08:03 the client would pay Greenway an extra 250 pounds. 08:07 Well, the client was not impressed and complained to the 08:11 authorities which led to Greenway being convicted 08:14 and sentenced to death but this was later commuted 08:18 to transportation to Sydney for 14 years as a convict. 08:23 Meanwhile in the new colony the New South Wales governor 08:28 Lachlan Macquarie sent a request to England for an architect 08:32 to help build the new town of Sydney, no architect was sent. 08:37 But Francis Greenway arrived in Sydney in February 1814 08:42 as a convict and a month later on March 7, he was granted 08:47 a ticket of leave by Macquarie who had been desperate to have 08:52 an architect to design the colonies public buildings. 08:55 Governor Macquarie appointed him as the colony's Civil Architect 09:00 and Assistant Engineer. 09:01 His first commission was to build the Macquarie Lighthouse 09:06 here on South Head the entrance to Sydney Harbor. 09:09 Greenway went on to build many significant buildings 09:14 in the new colony, some of his works include the Obelisk, 09:19 from this spot they measured the distances to the various 09:22 settlements in the colony 09:24 Hyde Park Barracks a home for 600 convicts, St. James Church 09:29 which held its first service on the 6th of January1822, 09:34 the first court buildings in the colony and the extensions 09:39 to the new Government House and its stables which are now 09:42 the Conservatorium of Music. 09:44 There are still 49 Georgian style buildings in 09:48 Central Sydney attributed to his designs. 09:51 Greenway even discussed the need for a harbor bridge 09:57 a century before it was built. 09:59 Like many freed convicts, Greenway accepted a 10:04 farming land ground or free land and settled near Maitland, 10:08 he died of Typhoid on his property in 1837 and his remains 10:13 are believed to rest in an unmarked grave in the 10:17 East Maitland Cemetery. 10:19 Greenway's legacy lives on in some of the finest colonial 10:23 Georgian Architecture in Sydney and he is honored 10:26 with his face etched on the ten dollar note. 10:29 A second convict who made an impact on Colonial Society 10:34 was William Bland, he was the son of an Obstetrician 10:38 in England and he became a surgeon in the British Navy. 10:41 In 1809 on the Warship H. M. S. Hesper in Bombay, India 10:47 Dr. Bland got into a fierce argument with another officer 10:52 Robert Case, unfortunately, the two men decided that 10:56 the only way to dissolve the issue was to have a duel 11:00 with guns, in the duel Blane killed Robert Case. 11:05 The surgeon was actually convicted of manslaughter 11:08 and instead of being hanged he was sentenced to 11:11 seven years transportation to Australia. 11:15 Dr. Bland arrived in Sydney in July of 1814 and was sent 11:21 to the Castle Hill Jail for a short time but the next year 11:25 he managed to get a pardon and was released and 11:28 started to make an impact on the colonial society 11:32 by being a part of the building a nation. 11:35 In 1817, he set up a successful private medical practice 11:40 on Macquarie Street, but in 1818 he began writing Satires 11:46 that insulted the governor over his poor treatment 11:49 of the farmers. Governor Macquarie was not amused, 11:53 and managed to get him convicted of liable and so Bland 11:58 ended up in prison again for a few months, this time in the 12:03 Parramatta Jail. Surely that was too much, 12:07 surely that was the end. 12:09 But somehow William Bland began focusing on a much bigger 12:15 goal, the building of a nation. 12:18 William Bland believed in the power of education to build 12:22 a better society and was the president on the committee 12:26 that founded the prestigious Sydney Grammar School. 12:30 He also became involved in New South Wales Politics 12:33 and by 1843 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative 12:39 Council. And perhaps the greatest of his achievements 12:43 was being voted the President of the Inaugural Australian 12:47 Medical Society in 1859. 12:50 William Bland is also famous as having the oldest surviving 12:56 photograph taken in Australia in 1845 and is now held by the 13:01 Mitchell Library of New South Wales. 13:03 At his death, he was given a state funeral which isn't a 13:08 bad achievement for an ex-convict. 13:10 Surprisingly there was another convict who can be seen on 13:16 the Australian currency, her name is Mary Reibey, 13:20 she was known as Mollie Haydock in England and was only 13:24 13 years old when she was arrested for stealing a horse 13:28 in 1790 and sentenced to be transported to New South Wales 13:33 for seven years. 13:34 She arrived in Australia in October 1792 and was assigned 13:39 as a nursemaid in the household of Major Francis Grose 13:44 two years later when she was 17 she married Thomas Reibey. 13:49 Mary and Thomas moved to a farming property near the 13:53 Hawkesbury River north of Sydney farming provided new and 13:57 wonderful opportunities for freed convicts. 14:00 Mary and Thomas worked hard on the land and became 14:04 successful farmers, Thomas soon owned the 14:07 grain carrying business and three boats for transporting 14:10 coal, cedar, and wheat. 14:12 After his death in 1811, Mary took on the responsibility 14:17 of the businesses, she expanded the business interest 14:21 to importing and mercantile, purchase new ships, 14:25 opened a new warehouse in George Street, the main street 14:28 of Sydney and leased her property in Macquarie Place 14:31 to the First Bank in Australia, the Bank of New South Wales. 14:35 She continued to both build elegant buildings and 14:40 make extensive investments in Sydney City property. 14:43 In 1825, she was appointed as one of the governors 14:48 of the Sydney Free Grammar School alongside another 14:52 ex-convict Dr. William Bland. 14:54 Mary Reibey was enterprising in everything she undertook 14:59 and became legendary in the colony as the first successful 15:03 businesswoman. She is known for an active interest 15:06 in her church, the education of the children, 15:09 and works of charity for the underprivileged. 15:12 Mary Reibey, a horse thief and one of the youngest convicts 15:17 sent to Australia made a difference in a new land, 15:21 today she is honored by having her face on the $20 15:26 Australian Banknote. 15:27 Our next convict lends his name to the highest-ranking 15:32 High School on academic results of all Australian Schools, 15:36 James Ruse Agricultural High School. 15:39 For the past 30 years this school based in 15:43 Carlingford, Sydney has performed better in the 15:47 final year exams than all other High schools and private schools 15:52 in New South Wales. 15:53 But how did it start? 15:55 Well, surprisingly it began an agricultural or 16:00 farming school and took its name from a convict who 16:04 arrived in Australia on the first fleet in 1788. 16:08 James Ruse was born in Launceston Cornwall in 1760 16:13 and worked as a farmhand for most of his childhood in 1782 16:18 at the age of 23, he was tried and sentenced to death 16:22 for breaking and entering the house of 16:25 Thomas Oliver Knight in stealing two silver watches. 16:28 Luckily James avoided the death penalty and instead 16:33 was sentenced to transportation for seven years and 16:37 placed aboard the first ships to bring convicts to Australia. 16:41 When it was decided to establish a penal colony in New South Wales 16:45 he was sent out with the first fleet in 1787 on the ship 16:50 called the Scarborough. 16:51 James Ruse claimed to be the first English man to step foot 16:56 on the shores of Botany Bay in 1788 when he carried the 17:01 ships captain John Hunter ashore. 17:03 In July 1789 Ruse applied for a land grant that would 17:09 allow him to take up farming, Governor Philip did not 17:13 give him a land grant but permitted him to occupy 17:16 in a lodgment at Rose Hill near Parramatta called 17:20 Experiment Farm. The title to that grant 17:23 was withheld until Ruse showed his capacity 17:27 as a farmer and his right to freedom had been proved. 17:31 In his first year after being released, James produced 17:35 the first successful wheat harvest in New South Wales 17:39 and proved that it was possible for freed convicts to become 17:44 self-sufficient farmers and landowners 17:46 James Ruse married Elizabeth Perry, a fellow convict 17:51 at Parramatta in 1790 and they successfully found their land. 17:56 A plaque at Experiment Farm commemorates this first 18:00 independent farm. In February 1791 Ruse received 30 acres 18:07 in land grant number one and by the end of the year 18:10 Ruse, his wife, and child no longer needed food from 18:14 the government store. 18:16 James Ruse died on the 5th of September1837. 18:20 During his last months he occupied himself with the 18:24 rather sad task of carving his story on his own tombstone, 18:30 he is buried in the cemetery of St. John's church Campbell town. 18:34 So what was this convicts legacy? 18:38 Well James Ruse was the first full-time farmer in the 18:43 new colony and established successful methods of farming 18:46 in a new land. In addition, the eminently successful 18:51 James Ruse Agricultural High-School bears his name 18:55 keeps traditional farming skills alive in a metropolis 18:59 and is a testament to his hard work, dedication, 19:03 and commitment. 19:05 These convicts who sailed to an unknown land have 19:11 remarkable stories of courage and transformation 19:15 as they work the land, created a new life and helped to build 19:20 a new nation. Doesn't that make you wonder, 19:24 is there a way for any person to really get a new life? 19:29 If those petty criminals could, surely we can. 19:34 So, how can we find out about one of the key elements 19:39 of getting a better life? 19:41 Well, come with me down to the circular key end of Sydney 19:46 on the corner of Blye and Hunter Streets in a little square 19:50 there is a monument that's passed by and unread by 19:54 hundreds of people every day. 19:56 Why is there a monument here? And what does it commemorate? 20:00 Well on Sunday the 3rd of February, 1788, a week after 20:07 the landing of the first ships from England, 20:09 the First Christian Church Service was held on Australians 20:13 soil for the officers, marines, and convicts. 20:16 The service was led by the colony's chaplain Richard Johnson 20:21 on a grassy hill under a tree right near this monument. 20:26 It's hard to imagine the scene, no skyscrapers, no roads 20:31 or cars, but just 11 ships bobbing in the harbor 20:36 in the background. Richard Johnson was a man who was 20:41 convinced that the Bible is the true word of God 20:44 and that we should live according to its principles. 20:47 And so with great love and affection, he called the marines 20:51 and convicts alike to have a faith in Jesus and the Bible. 20:56 Richard Johnson actively worked to improve the lives of the 21:00 convicts in the colony, he was responsible for the 21:04 setting up of a fund to care for the orphans 21:07 and when the second fleet arrived in Sydney 21:10 with hundreds of sick and dying convicts on board 21:13 it was Johnson who risked his own life and health 21:16 and went into the ships to care for those in need. 21:20 Also, he and his wife had a special desire to befriend 21:25 the Aborigines who were being dispossessed of their land 21:29 by the new white settlers. 21:30 In addition, Richard Johnson was concerned for the education 21:35 of all children whether they belonged to convicts or 21:39 Free Settlers and he became a pioneer in providing education 21:44 in the new colony. 21:45 On the 18th of February, 1793, five years after the arrival 21:51 of the first fleet, Reverend Johnson and his wife Mary 21:55 opened the first school in the colony in their 21:59 newly finished church on the corner of Hunter and Castle Race 22:03 Streets with about 200 students which is commemorated today 22:07 by a plaque. The first generation of colonial children 22:12 owed their schooling to the influence and efforts of 22:16 Richard Johnson, they all attended church schools 22:19 and received a Christian education. 22:22 He recruited teachers from among the convicts, 22:25 raised funds for their employment, 22:28 provided reading books and taught lessons himself. 22:32 He also spent countless hours visiting convicts, 22:36 distributing spelling books and Bibles and encouraging 22:40 the literate to help the illiterate. 22:44 What remarkable stories began in this harbor? 22:51 It began with convicts sailing in and ended with 22:55 new lives, new identities and with the new nation 22:58 growing so dramatically doesn't that make you wonder 23:03 what made the difference? 23:06 What had such a huge influence on the early settlement? 23:10 Well, amongst other things, it was the Christian Churches. 23:15 They assisted people in need and educated the children 23:18 they promoted Christian principles and values. 23:22 They proclaimed the good news of God's unconditional love 23:26 and helped to turn a penal colony into a progressive nation. 23:31 They helped turn convicts into upright citizens and gave them 23:36 a new identity. 23:38 Christianity proclaims that faith in Jesus is the biggest source 23:44 of transformation in all of history. 23:46 It claims Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross 23:50 can change us more powerfully than anything else. 23:54 But, that doesn't happen automatically 23:57 there are challenges for many people in our world today 24:02 the life of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice hasn't come alive. 24:07 It's a misty event in the past and here's one big reason, 24:12 The cross doesn't seem to have their name on it 24:16 many people see the cross in generic terms, 24:20 sure it was something done for humanity, 24:23 may be a heroic gesture, but it doesn't have my name on it, 24:28 I wasn't there. 24:30 You know, these criminals or convicts who sailed into 24:34 Sydney Harbor had to have a pardon, 24:37 a reprieve with their name on it to get their freedom. 24:40 It had to be legal. Now the Bible talks about the pardon 24:46 that Jesus offers each one of us. 24:48 When Jesus Christ stretched His arms out on the cross 24:53 his reach was very wide indeed, even wider than Sydney Harbor, 24:58 even wider than the Australian Continent. 25:02 Now you're probably not a convict sailing to another land 25:06 but here's where the cross gets personal. 25:09 We all have problems, the cross is about your problems, 25:15 your weaknesses, your addictions, your challenges, 25:19 and your feelings of low self-worth. 25:22 How could Jesus transform us? How do we get a new identity? 25:28 Well, the cross of Christ is about your new identity. 25:33 The cross has your name on it, it speaks to you personally, 25:38 it's a message that comes out of the shadows down through 25:43 the years and tells you, God loved you then and God 25:49 loves you now. 25:50 That's a wonderful message to receive even in a very 25:55 secular world, God the creator holds you in His hands. 26:01 He holds your unique human identity in His hands and 26:07 He held you in His hands when He died. 26:11 If you would like to make a personal response to 26:17 God's gift to you, if you would like to find out 26:20 more about how you can transform your life 26:24 and find true inner peace and happiness, 26:26 then I'd like to recommend a free gift we have 26:30 for all our Incredible Journey viewers today. 26:34 It's the booklet Does God Really Make a Difference? 26:39 This booklet is our gift to you and it's absolutely free 26:44 I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever 26:49 so make the most of wonderful opportunity to receive the gift 26:55 we have for you today. 26:56 Phone of text 0436.333.555 in Australia or 020.422.2042 27:06 in New Zealand or visit our website TIJ.tv 27:11 or simply scan the QR Code on your screen and we'll send you 27:16 today's free offer totally free of charge and with no 27:19 obligation. Write to us at GPO Box 274 Sydney NSW 27:25 20001 Australia, or PO Box 76673 Manukau 27:31 Auckland 2241, New Zealand. Don't delay, call or text us now. 27:37 Be sure to join us again next week when we will share another 27:41 of Life's Journey together, until then let's pray 27:46 and ask for God's blessing and guidance in our lives. 27:50 Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of Jesus 27:56 and for your promise of a new identity, a new life when we 28:00 believe and trust in You. We need to be redeemed 28:04 free from our past problems and challenges. 28:08 We pray for forgiveness and peace and the assurance of a new 28:13 identity in Jesus. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen! |
Revised 2024-04-03