THE CONVICT SHIP HASHEMY AT PORT PHILLIP: A CASE STUDY IN HISTORICAL ERROR

The story of the convict ship Hashemy arriving at Sydney in June 1849 after being turned away from Melbourne has been repeated by many professional, amateur and popular historians. The arrival of the Hashemy, and subsequent anti-convict protest meetings in Sydney, not only became a turning point in the anti-transportation movement in Australia, but also added to an already existing antagonism on the part of Sydney towards its colonial rival, Port Phillip, or Melbourne. This article will demonstrate that the story of the Hashemy being turned away from Port Phillip is based upon a fallacy; investigates how that fallacy developed and was perpetuated over a period of 160 years; and demonstrates that some politicians and historians encouraged this false interpretation of history, effectively extending the inter-colonial discontent that began in the 1840s into the 20th century and beyond.