Martial law was declared seven times in pre-Federation Australia, playing a part in some significant historical events. Yet very little has been written on the topic,1 and no comparative study has so far been made. This paper gathers, for the first time, brief accounts of all of the martial law events2 in the early colonies into one document, and draws some initial comparisons. It will be seen that martial law was an adaptable doctrine. In the years between 1790 and 1853 it was used to fend off starvation, quash two rebellions, overthrow a government, and wage two wars against First Nations people.