A rebellious spirit – Frank the poet –

                                                                                    Colleen Z Burke

                 Francis MacNamara (1811-1861)

I dread not the dangers by land or by sea,
That I'll meet on my voyage to Botany Bay;
My labours are over, my vocation is past,
And 'tis there I'll rest easy and happy at last.

Francis MacNamara,

born in Cashel, Tipperary,

convicted when he was 21 –

for breaking a shop-window

and stealing a piece of worsted plaid,

was transported to NSW for seven years

but instead served nearly fifteen years.

He arrived in Sydney in 1832 aboard the Eliza II.

And from 1833 to 1843 for crimes

committed in the colony of NSW

such as absconding, disobeying orders

possessing a stolen shirt,

for insubordination, being absent from duty,

using obscene and threatening language,

destroying a government cart,

for refusing to work, refusing to mount the treadmill,

for mutinous conduct, drunkenness,

disobeying orders, insolence,

refusing to work underground

he was bound in leg irons

put on the treadmill and

in solitary confinement over and over again.

Flogged repeatedly

100 lashes, 75, 50, 100 –

Frank received a total of 590 lashes

in 12 separate floggings –

my back with flogging was lacerated

And oft-times painted with crimson gore.

And after absconding once again

and found in possession of fire arms

he was sentenced to Van Diemen’s land for life

but became a free man in 1849.

Frank always bucked the system.

And after such an intense, harrowing life

and through all his inhumane

and brutal punishments

he was only fifty when he died

at Pipe Clay Creek, near Mudgee, NSW.

He was known for his erudition,

calligraphy, fine penmanship,

his passionate, satirical and provocative poetry

bequeathing us a rich treasure trove

of words and rhyme

highlighting his quirky wit

and ever defiant spirit

because he never ever

let the bastards keep him down.

Notes
Many thanks to Colleen Burke who wrote this poem for, and performed it at the bicentenary celebration of Francis MacNamara at the Gaelic Club Sydney on 27 August 2011