Fletcher Christian

Meet Dr. Jodie McCoy, Norfolk's first homegrown doctor.

One of the things Norfolk is best known for is its connection to the mutiny on the Bounty when Fletcher Christian seized control of HMS Bounty from Lieutenant William Bligh in 1789, resulting in the dispersal of the crew in that area of the Pacific, including eventually Norfolk.

It's a fascinating and hotly debated story that I can't really go into here, but to say that Jodie is a descendant of the Christian family, but that might be the least interesting thing about her.

I'm Terri Cowley from Outback, and here's my interview with Jodie McCoy.

[upbeat music] Dr. Jodie McCoy's drive to work takes just 10 minutes, but by the time she arrives, she has already exchanged a dozen waves.

We can provide palliative care at the hospital, but we also try and support people who would rather, you know, finish, finish their time on this planet at home.

So we can do support at home services as well, and it just depends on the needs of the person, but also the needs of the family that are caring for them.

As an eighth generation descendant of Fletcher Christian, the leader of the famous Bounty mutiny, you have a family history woven into the island's story.

And in that, he was employed quite a number of sailors, obviously, with him on every voyage, including quite a number who were going to sail with him, uh, on the Bounty expedition, uh, later on.

Uh, uh, including Fletcher Christian, who's a name which I think might get mentioned again, who'd sailed with him two or three times before ever the Bounty, uh, crew was put together.

But a number of others, uh, uh, who, uh, asked to sail with him when he was putting together a crew.

They volunteered to sail with him.

I mean, I think as Rob said there, Geraint, it's more of a meritocracy here.

You do get people, and people from good families, who might buy their son onto the, onto the Navy list as a midshipman, and there'll be money and influence involved there as well.

But there, there is a, there is a potential here to come in, and we see it with Fletcher Christian and we see it with William Bligh, to come in at quite a junior rank, but to learn and be proficient and then to go up.

I mean, he will eventually end his career as an admiral, having started with quite a junior kind of person.

You don't murder me, Mr. Christian!

[cheering] And I heard Fletcher Christian answer him sternly.

Captain Bligh, you've forfeited your life a thousand times over.

[cheering] And I saw at last the ship's launch hoisted over the side.

I saw Captain Bligh board it with certain men who had neither the honor nor the hardihood to follow the leadership of Fletcher Christian.

And what became of Captain Bligh and the others who departed with him, I know not, for we never saw him again.

[ship horn]

Love, jealousy, hatred, murder.

Tales of Shipwrecks and Other Disasters at Sea by Thomas Bingley.

uncle thomas tells about the mutiny of the bounty good evening uncle thomas we are come to hear about the mutiny of the bounty very well boys it is a long story so i shall begin at once in the year seventeen eighty seven it having been represented to the british government that the introduction of the bread-fruit tree into the west india islands would be of great benefit to the inhabitants a vessel was fitted up in the most commodious manner for the reception of the plants in place under the command of lieutenant who had previously sailed with captain hook on his voyage round the world her crew consisted of thirty-four persons besides two intelligent botanists who were added to the expedition for the purpose of managing the plants during the voyage as well as undertaking their transplantation on board the vessel and on their arrival at the place of destination on the twenty third december the bounty sailed from spithead and on the twenty sixth encountered a severe storm from the eastward which continued for three days during which the ship suffered considerably they therefore found it necessary to touch at teneriffe in order to refit having put everything to rights they again sailed on the tenth january seventeen eighty eight for nearly a month they struggled hard against the tempestuous weather which they encountered on their attempts to reach the society islands where the plants were to be procured by the route of cape horn but at length finding all their efforts ineffectual they bore away for the cape of good hope where they once more found it necessary to replenish their stock of provisions in water at length on the twenty sixth of october they came to anchor at matavay bay in the island of odahate the ship was soon crowded by natives and two messengers arrived from utu the chief of matavai each bringing a small pig and a young plantain tree as a token of friendship captain bligh now went on shore accompanied by a chief named poino who was everywhere received in the most friendly manner the women clothing him in the otaheitan fashion and afterwards accompanying him to the boat in a few days the most friendly relations were established with the natives and presents of small articles were bestowed on the chief who was told that the king of england had sent him these on account of the kindness of his people to captain hook as well as from a desire to serve him and his countrymen at the same time he was asked if there was nothing he would like to send to the king in return yes said he i will send him anything i have and he immediately began enumerating such articles as the island afforded and among others mentioned the bread-fruit he was immediately told that this was what would please the king very much and a number of young trees were promised to be sent on board for upwards of five months the bounty remained at matavai when having at length obtained upwards of one thousand plants she set sail on the fourth of april after bidding a most affectionate farewell to these kind and simple-hearted islanders on the twenty third they reached the island of annamooka where they remained till the twenty sixth carrying on a brisk trade with the natives in yams plantains hogs fruits c from thence the ship stood northward all night and at noon on the following day they were between the islands of tofoa and kutu so far the voyage had been one of uninterrupted prosperity they had hitherto succeeded in the object of their mission and to all appearance it was likely to result in the most complete success these fair prospects were however destined to be suddenly overclouded by one of the most systematic as well as cautious and deliberate mutinies upon record about sunrise on the morning of the twenty eighth april captain bligh was awoke by fletcher christian one of the mates and three others who tied his hands behind his back and threatened him with instant death if he spoke or made the least resistance they then pulled him out of the bed forced him on deck in his shirt and placed him under a guard with christian who seemed to be the ringleader at their head to all his entreaties and inquiries as to the reason for this violence their only answer was a command to hold his tongue with threats of having his brains blown out if he did not instantly comply the mutineers then ordered the boatswain to hoist the launch out and several of the officers were ordered into it as captain bligh now saw the fate that awaited him and the obnoxious members of his crew he once more made an effort to reason with those around him but was immediately checked and again threatened with instant death when they had succeeded in getting rid of such of the crew as they disliked the mutineers forced the captain over the ship's side and into the boat and after subjecting their victims to much ridicule and making sport of their situation they at length cast them adrift on the open sea as the vessels sailed away they could hear the mutineers shouting huzza for otaheite it was therefore supposed that the enticements of a delightful climate and the allurements of the continuance of the life of unrestrained indulgence which they had recently led on that island had tempted them to the commission of the crime of which they had been guilty the launch about twenty-three feet in length contained nineteen persons and the quantity of provisions which they had been permitted to secure amounted to only one hundred and fifty pounds weight of bread about thirty pounds of pork six quarts of rum six bottles of wine and twenty-eight gallons of water thus abandoned captain bligh and his companions directed their course to tofoa in the hope of there obtaining a supply of bread-fruit and water they had at first great difficulty in finding any of the natives at length however having fallen in with two of them several others soon collected from whom they obtained a small supply of such articles as they wanted by degrees the number of natives increased and they began to show symptoms of some hostile design but they were for the time overawed by the undaunted behavior of captain as the evening advanced however they continued to congregate all carrying stones in their hands which they continued knocking together in token of attack and on the party proceeding to embark with the provisions which they had accumulated the attack commenced they had all got in safety to the boat and one of the men jumped on shore in order to untie the rope by which it was fastened when he was instantly knocked down and murdered in the most inhuman manner finding that there was no hope of lending assistance to their unfortunate companion they hastily pushed off some of the natives got in their canoes and gave chase throwing stones with which they were armed with such power and effect as nearly to disable every person on board fortunately it occurred to captain bligh to drop some clothes overboard when the canoes stopping to pick them up allowed them to get a little ahead of their pursuers and it being now almost dark they gave up the chase seeing that there was no hope of relief until they reached timor a distance of twelve hundred leagues where there was a dutch settlement captain bligh and his companions bent their course across an ocean whose navigation was then little known exposed as well to the dangers of the deep as to famine their little store only allowing them to serve out one ounce of bread and one quarter of a pint of water per day.

captain bligh has left a very interesting journal of their sufferings during this long and hazardous voyage from which i will read you a few of the daily entries it was about eight o'clock at night on the second of may that they bore away from tofoa and having divided the people into watches and put the boat somewhat in order they returned thanks to god for their miraculous preservation on the third it blew a violent storm and the sea ran so high that they were obliged to keep constantly bailing and were in great apprehension that the bread which was in bags would be spoiled to prevent this they threw overboard all superfluous clothes with some spare sails and ropes in order to lighten the boat and emptying the carpenter's chest stowed the tools at the bottom of the boat and put the bread into the chest on the morning of the fifth the gale had abated and the boat was running among some islands but after their reception at tofoa they did not venture to land upon examining the state of their bread they found that a great part of it was damaged and even this was carefully preserved for use the next day they still continued to see islands at a distance and for the first time to their great joy they hooked a fish but were miserably disappointed by losing it, as they were trying to get it into the boat.

They were dreadfully cramped from the want of room, which they endeavored to remedy by putting themselves at watch and watch, one half sitting up while the others laying down in the bottom of the boat, with nothing to cover them, and so constantly wet that after a few hours' sleep they were scarcely able to move.

Directed by Lewis Milestone with contributions from George Seaton and Carol Reid, the film is based on the novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.

It stars Marlon Brando as Fletcher Christian, Trevor Howard as Captain William Bly and Richard Harris as John Mills.

This historical drama, with elements of adventure, attempts to capture the tension and drama of the real-life events that unfolded on the high seas.

The film's plot centres around the Bounty's mission to transport breadfruit plants from Tahiti to Jamaica.

His harsh methods and tyrannical leadership style create a living hell for the crew.

contrasting sharply with the paradise they find in Tahiti.

This stark difference in environments sets the stage for the eventual mutiny led by Fletcher Christian, played by Marlon Brando.

Brando's performance as Christian is a point of contention among critics.