David Collins (lieutenant governor)

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Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land
In office
16 February 1804 – 24 March 1810
GovernorPhilip Gidley King
William Bligh
Lachlan Macquarie
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byColonel Thomas Davey
1st Judge Advocate of New South Wales
In office
24 October 1786 – August 1796
GovernorArthur Phillip
John Hunter
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byRichard Bowyer Atkins
Personal details
Born(1756-03-03)3 March 1756
London, England
Died24 March 1810(1810-03-24) (aged 54)
Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land
SpouseMaria Stuart Collins née Proctor

Colonel David Collins (3 March 1756 – 24 March 1810) was a British Marine officer who was appointed as Judge-Advocate to the new colony being established in Botany Bay. He sailed with Governor Arthur Phillip on the First Fleet to establish a penal colony at what is now Sydney. He became secretary to the first couple of Governors, later being appointed to start a secondary colony where he founded the city of Hobart as the founding Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land (later becoming the state of Tasmania).

Early life and military career

David Collins was born 3 March 1756 in London, the third and oldest surviving child of Arthur Tooker Collins (1718–1793), an officer of

Collins's Peerage of England.[2][3]

The family lived in

Exeter Grammar School,[5] before at the age of 14 joining the marines as an ensign in his fathers division.[6] He was promoted second lieutenant on 20 February 1771.[6] In 1772 Collins was serving aboard the frigate HMS Southampton when it was sent to Denmark to retrieve King George III's sister Queen Caroline Matilda after she was banished from Denmark for an illicit romance.[6]

American Revolutionary War

In March 1775, Collins sailed to

Charlestown.[9] He was promoted to first lieutenant the following week.[2][10]

On 17 March 1776, the British evacuated from Boston to

captain-lieutenant in August 1779, and captain in July 1780. In February 1781, Collins was posted as captain for a detachment of marines aboard the 74-gun HMS Courageux in the Channel Squadron commanded by Admiral Richard Howe, where he took part in the relief of Gibraltar. In September 1783 Collins was put onto half-pay.[2][12]

Colonial Administration

New South Wales

In October 1786, after three years on half-pay stationed at Chatham, Collins volunteered for service in the proposed penal colony of New South Wales. On 29 November, and despite a lack of legal training, he was named Judge Advocate for the new colony and chief judge for a military court administering the New South Wales Marine Corps.[13] In May 1787 he sailed aboard the First Fleet, reaching Sydney Cove in January 1788.[14]

In June or July 1788, Governor Phillip appointed Collins as the Secretary to the Governor, or Secretary to the Colony as the position was sometimes called. Collins filled the three roles of Secretary, Judge Advocate and Lieutenant Governor until he left the colony for England in 1796.[15][16]

Victoria and Tasmania

Further information on the 1803 British settlement at Sullivan Bay: History of Victoria
Further information on the 1804 British landing at Sullivans Cove, Hobart: History of Hobart

Collins also established the first, short-lived settlement in what is now the state of

Derwent River, on the island of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). He arrived there in February 1804 on Ocean, and established what would become the town of Hobart
.

Collins left no published account of his work as Lieutenant-Governor at

Hobart
.

Legacy

The name of

St David's Church, Hobart was chosen to commemorate Colonel David Collins.[17]

His name has been given to Collinsvale in Tasmania, Collins Street, Melbourne, Collins Parade, Sorrento (adjacent to the site of the failed settlement) and Collins Street, Hobart. At Exeter Grammar School, now known as Exeter School, where he was educated, there is a house named after him.

Collins was portrayed by David Dawson in the 2015 TV series Banished.[18]

See also

Citations

  1. ^ "Colonel David Collins". libraryireland.com. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  2. ^
    ISSN 1833-7538
    . Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  3. ^ Currey 2013, p. 5.
  4. ^ Currey 2013, p. 14.
  5. ^ Currey 2013, p. 15.
  6. ^ a b c Currey 2013, p. 16.
  7. ^ Currey 2013, p. 17.
  8. ^ Currey 2013, p. 18.
  9. ^ Currey 2013, p. 22.
  10. ^ Currey 2013, p. 27.
  11. ^ Currey 2013, p. 30.
  12. ^ Currey 2013, p. 35.
  13. ^ Moore 1987, p. 29.
  14. ^ Chapman 1986, pp. 65–67.
  15. ^ "Introduction to the Colonial Secretary's Correspondence". The State Archives. New South Wales Government. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015. in mid-June 1788 ... Phillip then appointed David Collins, the Deputy Judge Advocate in his place. ... Collins left Sydney in September 1796
  16. ^ David Collins Archived 22 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, State Library
  17. The Hobart Town Gazette and Southern Reporter
    . Vol. V, no. 228. Tasmania, Australia. 23 September 1820. p. 2. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "BBC: Banished". Retrieved 19 May 2022.

References

Further reading

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Preceded by
—
Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land

1804–1810 		Succeeded by
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