TLF ID M008485
This video clip focuses on William Wentworth, the colonial-born son of a convict, destined to become a loud charismatic press baron, publicist, barrister and patriot. 'William Wentworth: "currency lad"' is an excerpt from the documentary 'Rites of Passage' - the second episode of the two-part series entitled 'Rogue Nation' produced in 2009. In 'Rogue Nation', historian Michael Cathcart tells the epic story of how the colourful characters of early colonial Australia transformed a penal settlement into a land with rights and opportunity in a mere 40 years. This sweeping two-part dramatised documentary covers formative events in Australia's history, including the Rum Rebellion and early court cases, which established independence and civil rights for all settlers. 'Rogue Nation' explores how a fledgling colony on the wrong side of the globe was rapidly transformed from a place of punishment to a place of opportunity; a confident and prosperous community. It goes behind the power struggles between wealthy landowners, the educated offspring of convict settlers and the governors who ran the colony. A Screen Australia production in association with Essential Media and Entertainment. Images in the clip courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales.