Deposition of William Bligh

Date: January 26, 1808 • Location: Canberra, Australia

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1808.

William Bligh, the governor of New South Wales, was deposed in the only military coup in Australian history.

Vice-Admiral of the Blue William Bligh was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New South Wales from 1806 to 1808. He is best known for his role in the mutiny on HMS Bounty, which occurred in 1789 while the ship was under his command. After being set adrift mid-ocean in Bounty's launch by the mutineers, Bligh and those loyal to him sailed to the Dutch East Indies. En route they stopped for supplies on the Fijian island of Tofua, losing one man to native attack. Bligh and his men reached Kupang in Timor after a journey of 3,618 nautical miles.