OUR COUNTY’S GOOD
Our Country’s
Good
Revision Pack
, Context
Authorial Context
Timberlake Wertenbaker is a British-based playwright. She write
‘Our Country’s Good’ in 1988, set in 1788 Australia. It was first
performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The play is
inspired by Keneally’s ‘The Playmaker’.
Historical Context
Our Country’s Good is set in 1788, when Britain established its
first penal colony in Sydney after losing the American colonies.
Convicts were transported to Australia to ease overcrowded
prisons, often for minor crimes, while serious offenders were
usually executed. Transportation continued for around 80 years,
and many ex-prisoners stayed in Australia, with about one in five
Australians today descended from convicts. Several characters
in the play are based on real historical figures, such as Governor
Arthur Phillip and Robert Sideway, founder of Australia’s first
OUR COUNTY’S GOOD
theatre company.
Key Themes: Australia in the 18th Century
Punishment and Rehabilitation –
Before the British arrived in 1788, Australia
contrasts harsh punishment with
was home to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
the possibility of reform; asks if
Islander peoples, who had lived on the
convicts can be changed through
continent for tens of thousands of years.
compassion and opportunity.
They belonged to hundreds of nations with
Restoring Power of Theatre–
distinct languages, cultures, and spiritual
shows how staging a play allows
beliefs, including the Dreaming, which guided
prisoners to find self-expression,
their laws and connection to the land.
dignity, and a sense of
Indigenous communities were primarily
community.
hunter-gatherers who carefully managed
Love, Sex, and Power – explores
resources, practiced seasonal movement,
relationships shaped by desire,
and maintained complex social and trade
coercion, and inequality between
networks. There was no European settlement,
officers and convicts.
and the continent was entirely shaped by
Governance and Justice –
Indigenous law, culture, and ways of life.
questions how authority is used
in the colony and whether justice
means control, fairness, or
survival.
Guilt, Regret, and Forgiveness –
examines how characters
confront their past crimes and
whether redemption is possible.
, Life on Board the Ship
Life on board the ships transporting convicts to Australia in the 18th century was
extremely harsh and dangerous. Convicts were confined below decks in crowded,
poorly ventilated spaces, with limited light and hygiene. Diseases such as scurvy,
dysentery, and typhoid were common and often fatal. Overcrowding and poor
sanitation made outbreaks frequent, and many prisoners died during the long
voyage. Food was minimal and monotonous, usually salted meat, ship’s biscuits,
and small amounts of water, leading to malnutrition. Discipline was strict: crimes
on board, including theft, disobedience, or fighting, were met with flogging or
confinement. Sexual abuse, prostitution, and forced relations were also tragically
common. The journey could last several months, and the combination of disease,
hunger, violence, and harsh punishment made survival a real struggle for
convicts.
OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD
1988 Context
Our Country’s Good was first performed in 1988, during
Australia’s bicentenary, marking 200 years since the First Fleet
arrived in Sydney. At the same time, Britain was under Margaret
Thatcher’s government, which had implemented funding cuts to
the arts and emphasized strict social order and authority. By
staging a play about 18th-century convicts finding redemption
through theatre, Wertenbaker was drawing attention to the
importance of art, creativity, and humanity in society—even
under harsh or oppressive conditions.
Our Country’s
Good
Revision Pack
, Context
Authorial Context
Timberlake Wertenbaker is a British-based playwright. She write
‘Our Country’s Good’ in 1988, set in 1788 Australia. It was first
performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The play is
inspired by Keneally’s ‘The Playmaker’.
Historical Context
Our Country’s Good is set in 1788, when Britain established its
first penal colony in Sydney after losing the American colonies.
Convicts were transported to Australia to ease overcrowded
prisons, often for minor crimes, while serious offenders were
usually executed. Transportation continued for around 80 years,
and many ex-prisoners stayed in Australia, with about one in five
Australians today descended from convicts. Several characters
in the play are based on real historical figures, such as Governor
Arthur Phillip and Robert Sideway, founder of Australia’s first
OUR COUNTY’S GOOD
theatre company.
Key Themes: Australia in the 18th Century
Punishment and Rehabilitation –
Before the British arrived in 1788, Australia
contrasts harsh punishment with
was home to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
the possibility of reform; asks if
Islander peoples, who had lived on the
convicts can be changed through
continent for tens of thousands of years.
compassion and opportunity.
They belonged to hundreds of nations with
Restoring Power of Theatre–
distinct languages, cultures, and spiritual
shows how staging a play allows
beliefs, including the Dreaming, which guided
prisoners to find self-expression,
their laws and connection to the land.
dignity, and a sense of
Indigenous communities were primarily
community.
hunter-gatherers who carefully managed
Love, Sex, and Power – explores
resources, practiced seasonal movement,
relationships shaped by desire,
and maintained complex social and trade
coercion, and inequality between
networks. There was no European settlement,
officers and convicts.
and the continent was entirely shaped by
Governance and Justice –
Indigenous law, culture, and ways of life.
questions how authority is used
in the colony and whether justice
means control, fairness, or
survival.
Guilt, Regret, and Forgiveness –
examines how characters
confront their past crimes and
whether redemption is possible.
, Life on Board the Ship
Life on board the ships transporting convicts to Australia in the 18th century was
extremely harsh and dangerous. Convicts were confined below decks in crowded,
poorly ventilated spaces, with limited light and hygiene. Diseases such as scurvy,
dysentery, and typhoid were common and often fatal. Overcrowding and poor
sanitation made outbreaks frequent, and many prisoners died during the long
voyage. Food was minimal and monotonous, usually salted meat, ship’s biscuits,
and small amounts of water, leading to malnutrition. Discipline was strict: crimes
on board, including theft, disobedience, or fighting, were met with flogging or
confinement. Sexual abuse, prostitution, and forced relations were also tragically
common. The journey could last several months, and the combination of disease,
hunger, violence, and harsh punishment made survival a real struggle for
convicts.
OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD
1988 Context
Our Country’s Good was first performed in 1988, during
Australia’s bicentenary, marking 200 years since the First Fleet
arrived in Sydney. At the same time, Britain was under Margaret
Thatcher’s government, which had implemented funding cuts to
the arts and emphasized strict social order and authority. By
staging a play about 18th-century convicts finding redemption
through theatre, Wertenbaker was drawing attention to the
importance of art, creativity, and humanity in society—even
under harsh or oppressive conditions.
