Australian artists have largely ignored our government’s one and only military coup. Friend’s rendition is simultaneously arresting, tense and comic – qualities not common to Australian painting before Pop art or the post-modernist movement. 

Governor Bligh remained in confinement at Government House for a year, as he refused to sail back to England until he received lawful orders to return. 

On the day of the coup, John MacArthur had drafted a petition appealing to the military to arrest Governor Bligh as a tyrant. The 150 or so signatures appearing on the surviving manuscript of that petition are now known to have been added after the event.

Friend’s blazing irreverence and cutting wit fuelled the bold strokes and radical innovation displayed in this series of gilded history panel paintings which also included Joseph Banks at Botany Bay (n.d), Murray River Explorer’s (1962) and a pair of ‘Ned Kelly’ scenes (ca. 1965) among many others.

The NSW Corps marched up Bridge Street from the military barracks in High Street (now George Street) with colour flying and playing ‘The British Grenadiers’ on fife and drum. 

Governor Bligh’s recently widowed daughter, Mrs Mary Putland, accompanied her father to NSW to act as his hostess. She met the NSW Corps at the gates of Government House where she attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar the soldiers from entering the property.

The framed ship picture, hanging on the wall next to the door, is labelled ‘The Bounty’ in reference to Bligh’s famous command.

The pink dog, in the foreground on the left, is portrayed barking inaudibly with visibly wagging tail which seems to add to the noise and confusion of the scene.