ACT 1 8 people---4 boys-- 3girls
ACT 1 Introduction. 1 girl The King’s led an ordinary family life. Gov. King worried about his first two sons, named Norfolk and Sydney, who were born on Norfolk Island to King and a convict woman named Ann Innet. The two boys were in England preparing to become Naval Officers just like their Father. Anna Josephina King, and her children, 1 boy and 2 girls, remained in close touch with the boys.
King suffered financial losses all his working life whilst awaiting postings, particularly while awaiting to sail to Australia as 3rd Governor,.King in fact at the end of his Governership uncharacteristically persuaded the incoming Governor Bligh, of the Bounty fame to make a large land grant (free) to his wife.
Anna Josephina King, made substantial changes to a previously male occupied Government House, and the land around it. Creating gardens and planting many trees.
Paterson had an interesting life. He was usually called upon to act as Governor on Norfolk island and Sydney Cove, when Governors or Officers in charge of the NSW Corps, were being changed.
Nevertheless Governor King is adamant about several things that are remiss in the colony. Present are Macdonald, King’s major domo. King and his wife Josephina,
SCENE: Gov. King and Wife Anna Josephina, are preparing themselves to farewell the French, and are in their Personal Lounge reception room, with Lt. Colonel Bill Paterson and wife.. The farewell will be held in the courtyard outside..
PLAYERS: Captain Gov. King..Lt. Colonel William(Bill) 2nd in command. of the Colony, and Commander of the N.S.W. Corps.. Mrs. Anna Josephina King- Governors wife. Mrs. Elizabeth Paterson.
William Chapman (Kings Secretary). MacDonald ex marine Sergeant and Kings personal Guard . Mrs. King’s Cook
The Play ACT 1
MACDONALD: Beg pardon Madam, the Cook is here.
ANNA JOSPHINA KING: Aaaah! Cook. What are you serving for dinner tonight?
COOK: Well Madam I have a sheep, but its old and tough. I reckon it was alive when Dr. Bass, Matty Flinders and Captain Waterhouse bought sheep from the Dutch Governor at Cape Town, and brought it back to Sydney, years ago. It still needs a lot of soaking in brine and vinegar.
ANNA KING: Hmmm, that’s not very appetizing.
COOK: Well Madam I have plenty of fish but I know the Governor hates fish after his 2 stays on Norfolk Island.
ANNA KING: See if Macdonald here can get some pork or duck from the Officers Mess. I will leave it up to you.
COOK: No need for me to approach the Officers Mess Madam, if Sarah Bird is here today, I will ask her for some. She is very good friends with Dr. Bass and Charles Bishop. They have just arrived back from French Polynesia with other goods and pork for sale.
ELIZABETH PATERSON: Don’t forget Anna we spent time on Norfolk, with Bill as Lt. Governor. We will have whatever your Cook serves. Even fish
ANNA KING: See Philip, how very good friends Elizabeth and I are after all those horrible stories over the years about our friendship.
GOV.KING: That’s very good Anna. Well Bill, I see you are still having trouble with your shoulder
WM. PATERSON: That blackguard Captain Macarthur, lucky for me he was a bad shot in our duel, and only shot me in the shoulder.
GOV. KING: Well I sent him back to England in disgrace. He should be in London now, and with the letter I wrote about him and his behavior he will be court martial led and drummed out of the N.S.W. Corps with dishonor.
WM. PATERSON:: Anyway my shoulder still hurts a lot
GOV. KING: You know Bill? I still miss my sons, Norfolk and Sydney from my early Norfolk Island days. I don’t even know if we are fighting the French anymore
ANNA KING: I am sure those boys miss you and us with our son Philip, and the girls. But they do see each other in England. Also don’t forget it was Joseph Banks in England who arranged the Frenchmen’s Passports, and also negotiated the Passport for Matthew Flinders with the French Government. Napoleon Bonaparte thinks a great deal about Scientific endeavors.
GOV. KING: I even think about Captain John Hunter and the Sirius wrecking on Norfolk Island…….My old ship now at the bottom of a reef on Norfolk Island.
MACDONALD: William Chapman here to see you Sir.
CHAPMAN: Sir! I have prepared some letters that you dictated. Please sign here, and here, and here. The last letter is where you have agreed to release some convicts for good behavior.
GOV. KING: Well maybe some convicts might go and mine coal at Bulli or Newcastle and sell it to people here. Or maybe they might get jobs in the Brewery I started at Parramatta. How is the farewell looking.
CHAPMAN: Well the French have finally arrived and the 2 Captains Baudin and Hamelin are trying to get them into a marching line.
WM. PATERSON: How is Francis Barrallier coming along William?
CHAPMAN: Well Sir I have very difficult thoughts about him.. Because he is partially responsible for telling tales about Mrs. King and Mrs. Paterson, to officers of the N.S.W. Corps, that resulted in Lt. Governor Paterson’s duel with Captain Macarthur.
ELIZABETH PATERSON: That’s awful if true. Anna and I found him most obliging in drawing up plans for the Girls and Women Work Place and Orphanage. He is always nice here in Government House.
WM. PATERSON: Yes, but I don’t think he should ever have been allowed to become an Ensign in the N.S.W. Corps. Now he is a Gunnery officer! He can barely speak and understand English, let alone sit on Law Courts as a Judge. Particularly as some people are convicted to hang at those Sessions. Some of the French Officers of the Expedition speak English very well though..
ANNA KING: Can’t we forget that unpleasantness. I sent Jane Dundas, my housemaid, to stand with Francis to help him converse in English and support him..
ELIZABETH PATERSON: But Anna, I thought you said that on the long voyage out from England, Francis Brevedent was an entertaining and thoughtful fellow passenger.
WM. PATERSON: Yes he probably was,, but you should remember my dear, that was before he joined the NSW Corps, as a fellow officer when he became one of many fellow officers. Remember he was sent by his father, who became a ship draughtsman for the English Navy Yards at Portsmouth, to see what and if he could make his fortune in any way possible.
ELIZABETH PATERSON: Let’s change the conversation! I hear that Mr. Robert Sidaway and his wife Mary Marshall, with Mrs.Greville will be here today.
ANNA KING: Aha ! that was the released convict who Governor Hunter allowed to put on several plays in Bell Row here in Sydney town, and Mrs. Greville played the part of” Jane Shore.”
ELIZABETH PATERSON: Yes the plays were “Jane Shore” followed by” The Wapping Landlady” followed by The Miraculous Cure” .John Hunter allowed the plays, then later stopped them from happening because lots of robberies seemed to occur in the area of the Playhouse.
ANNA KING: Philip you should look at allowing Mr. Sidaway to restart the plays. They would be better than that horrible version of William Shakespeare’s play, Richard the Third that we had on Norfolk Island.
GOV. KING: I have more to worry about than that Anna. Anyway he has a lot of land at The Field of Mars, for growing things and I allow him to purchase goods for re sale of visiting ships. You know, for all that talk about Francis Barrallier, his survey drawings of Westernport and its approaches when he sailed with Captain Grant on the Lady Nelson are superb. I hope he has not been seeing any of the French, who we are seeing off today.
WM. PATERSON: I don’t think so Philip, he still blames the people of France for his fathers forced exile to Italy then his transfer to England where he is a Naval draughtsman. I think his maps are good. It certainly clarifies what George Bass and then later George and Mathew Flinders did. Now any ship can sail between the Mainland and Van Diemans land in complete safety and cut several days from the voyage here to Sydney.
GOV. KING: Anyway I am sending him to explore those Blue Mountains to our west and try to find out if pasture land exists beyond them. George Bass tried that sometime earlier for 15 days, but didn’t make it though the valleys and mountains, and returned without any success. George Calley also had a go to no avail also.
CHAPMAN: Sir, the band is tuning up, and will play when you signify. The French will form one group, and the other people will form small chatting groups. I must say I like the garden setting here than the one on Norfolk Island
WM. PATERSON: You know I never could work out what that Miraculous Cure was, in that Play!
GOV.KING: Don’t worry about that Bill. I expect after this Farewell for the French Expedition, that you make sure all your Officers return the convicts after the next harvest. Its not fair that I authorize all their upkeep costs and the Officers use them for free.
WM. PATERSON: Philip you know that will stir up the Officers and make a problem for your Governing.
GOV.KING: Hmmm. Well that’s too bad! I must Govern properly.
MACDONALD: Beg pardon Sir, the Band will start playing as soon as you and Mrs. King appear on the verandah.
ELIZABETH PATERSON: Mr. Chapman, I hope you gave Mary McDonald the invitation for ladies to attend this farewell.
CHAPMAN: Madam, I gave all the ladies invitations to Mary MacDonald, as instructed, for distribution. Its not like Norfolk Island where I could call on everybody.
MACDONALD: My wife Mary, sent out, and delivered all the invitations she was given. She even gave several to Ann Marsh, the lady who owns a small boat fleet, to deliver to ladies living near Parramatta.
ELIZABETH PATERSON: Philip, on Anna’s behalf I sent an invitation to Mrs. Elizabeth Macarthur. Anna and I have found her a genuinely nice woman. It’s a pity that her husband Captain John Macarthur is so aggressive towards everyone. Seeing general conversations as a personal insult to himself, and he has to respond by insults and wishing for duels.
ANNA KING: Well she is one of the very few ladies in the colony without a convict background. I know she works very hard at Elizabeth Farm Parramatta, for her Family and also supports Convict Women.
GOV. KING: Anyway let’s go outside, and see what happens! I want to spend some time with my fellow explorers, and re capture some good days.
