During its service, the New South Wales Corps was criticised for the trading activities of some of its officers and their constant quarrels with a succession of naval governors, culminating in the deposing of the Governor, Captain William Bligh RN in 1808.⁴ Its military efficiency was such, however, that during the 1804 Castle Hill rebellion involving over 300 escaped convicts and others, a company of the Corps marched from Sydney to Parramatta in about three hours and, after a short rest, spent the remainder of the day subduing the convicts.⁵

In 1809, Colonel Lachlan Macquarie arrived as Governor, and the New South Wales Corps was replaced by his own regiment - the 73^rd. Thus began a succession of 26 British infantry regiments, as well as a number of smaller artillery and engineer units, to garrison the Australian colonies until the last was withdrawn in 1870.⁶

Their many duties were sometimes onerous. Apart from those connected with the system of convict transportation, both afloat and ashore, they established and maintained the Mounted Police in New South Wales between 1825 and 1850.⁷ The troops constructed fortifications; attended fires and executions; assisted the police in keeping the peace between rioting sailors, rival election parties and squabbling sectarians. They provided guards for wrecks, goldfields, colonial treasuries, quarantine stations, government houses and the opening and closing of legislatures and mounted escorts for gold in transit. They manned coastal defences and fired ceremonial artillery salutes.⁸ They also operated intermittently against aboriginal resistance in most of the colonies.⁹

Some of these regiments also served on active service in New Zealand during the Maori Wars.¹⁰ They were also deployed in aid of the Victorian Government during the uprising by gold miners at Eureka, Ballarat in 1854, and again in 1861 in aid of the New South Wales Government during racial riots at Lambing Flat.¹¹