Billy Blue lived in the penal colony of New South Wales for three decades, earning the affectionate nickname 'the commodore' for his increasingly eccentric behaviour. He adopted the habit of boarding ships that arrived in Sydney Harbour, wearing his tattered, mismatched uniform and top hat, to welcome the ship's captain in his official capacity as commodore. As the Sydney Gazette told its readers, Blue expected to receive 'suitable homage from all of His Majesty's subjects, as befitted a man of his position'. Twirling his stick and declaiming 'True Blue Forever', the old man demanded that men salute, children doff their hats, and women curtsy to him. This highly subversive performance had the curious effect of endearing Blue to all levels of Sydney society, who happily complied with his demands (Sydney Gazette, 15 December 1829). When Baron von Hügel landed in Sydney in 1834 he was confronted by an old black man standing in the middle of the street with a sack over his shoulder, 'saying something crazy in a loud voice at every passer-by'. On inquiring about this disreputable apparition, the European aristocrat could scarcely believe his ears when he was told that this was 'the old commodore whom Governor Macquarie appointed port captain'.