5. The formation of the New South Wales Corps
In the summer of 1789, a new regiment of the British Army was formed in Great Britain under the name of the New South Wales Corps. It was created to relieve the Corps of Marines which had sailed with the First Fleet to guard the convicts and protect the settlements. The regiment was recruited in Britain and sailed to Australia in small units, eventually three companies of about 100 men each. Once in New South Wales its commander, Francis Grose, recruited an additional company from the Marines who had decided to remain in the colony. When Phillip left to return to England at the end of 1792, Grose became the highest authority in the colony.
Grose took advantage of his newfound authority by abolishing the courts established by Phillip. The colony was placed under military control, the magistrates under one of his captains. He slashed the rations distributed to the convicts while maintaining full rations for the corps. He also abandoned the collective farming established by his predecessor and awarded large tracts of land to officers of the corps and civilian non-convict settlers. Grose provided convict labor to work the new tracts. He also allowed the officers of the corps to engage in the trade of rum, previously prohibited, which they adopted so enthusiastically that it became known as the Rum Corps.