John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun
PC | |
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1st Governor-General of Australia | |
In office 1 January 1901 – 17 July 1902 | |
Monarchs | Victoria Edward VII |
Prime Minister | Edmund Barton |
Preceded by | New position |
Succeeded by | Lord Tennyson |
7th Governor of Victoria | |
In office 28 November 1889 – 12 July 1895 | |
Premier | Duncan Gillies James Munro William Shiels James Patterson George Turner |
Preceded by | Lord Loch |
Succeeded by | Lord Brassey |
Secretary for Scotland | |
In office 2 February 1905 – 4 December 1905 | |
Prime Minister | Arthur Balfour |
Preceded by | Andrew Murray |
Succeeded by | John Sinclair |
Personal details | |
Born | Victoria |
Political party | Conservative |
Spouse | |
Children |
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Parents |
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Alma mater | |
Occupation | Statesman, aristocrat |
John Adrian Louis Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow, 7th Earl of Hopetoun,
Hopetoun was born into the Scottish nobility, and succeeded his father as
After returning to England in 1895, Hopetoun served in Lord Salisbury's cabinet as Paymaster General and Lord Chamberlain. The announcement of his appointment to the new governorship-general in July 1900 was met with praise. However, he arrived in Australia ill-informed about the political aspects of federation, and his decision to call on William Lyne to form a caretaker government became known as the "Hopetoun Blunder". Lyne, who had campaigned against federation, had little support from the political establishment, and Hopetoun was forced to turn to Edmund Barton to serve as Australia's first prime minister. His relationship with Barton once in office was civil, although his interferences in political matters were not well-received.
Hopetoun was popular with the general public, but developed a reputation for flamboyance and ostentation. The Cookatoo Inn in Surry Hills was revamped and renamed the
Early life and career
Hope was born at
He married, in
In 1883, Hopetoun became Conservative whip in the
Governor of Victoria
In 1889 he was appointed
Hopetoun's time as Governor was in keeping with the newly emerging style. He rapidly developed a reputation for lavish entertaining and spectacular vice-regal galas. Notwithstanding poor health and colonial astonishment at his habit of wearing hair-powder, his youthful enthusiasm for routine duties and his fondness for informal horseback tours won him many friends.[6][7]
Hopetoun's term coincided with a number of serious difficulties being faced by the colonies. The economic boom in the colony was reversed by the Great Crash in 1891, leading to a decade of depression, bank failures, industrial action and political instability. In contrast to the troubles faced during this period by other colonial governors, Hopetoun by most accounts handled this period ably and subsequently stayed in office for longer than the usual term. However, the reality of the 1890s was that colonial governors had lost much of their administrative and political power, instead assuming more figurative and representative roles.[8]
Hopetoun's term also coincided with the important years of the federation movement in Victoria. The economic crash and resultant political and social problems laid bare the inefficiencies of the colonial system and sparked renewed interest in an Australian federation. Hopetoun was an active supporter of the movement, appearing at numerous banquets and giving speeches in its favour. At one such banquet he even offered to return to Australia as their first governor-general should Federation be implemented. Upon leaving the governorship and returning to the United Kingdom in 1895, Hopetoun was a widely popular figure in Victoria and New South Wales.
Governor-General of Australia
After his return to the United Kingdom he was made a
The Australian colonies had agreed to federate, to form the Commonwealth of Australia from 1 January 1901. Hopetoun's popularity in
Intercolonial rivalries and traditional suspicions in Sydney of the excessive influence of Melbourne over national affairs were cause for some complex manoeuvres during Hopetoun's arrival. Though he was initially intended to arrive via Melbourne, local politicians insisted that the incoming Governor-General should disembark in Perth before going on to Sydney. Illness and misadventure following the Indian leg of the journey disrupted Hopetoun's tour and made the arduous arrival preparations difficult to complete. Lady Hopetoun had suffered a relapse of her condition during the trip across Australia, adding further to Hopetoun's personal troubles.
"Hopetoun Blunder"
Hopetoun's immediate task was to appoint a prime minister to form an interim government, which would take office on 1 January 1901. Since the first federal election was not scheduled to be held until March, he could not follow the usual convention of appointing the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives. On 19 December 1900 Hopetoun chose to ask Sir William Lyne, the Premier of New South Wales, to form the first Commonwealth ministry. This caused great surprise amongst Australian and British politicians. In Australia, it had generally been assumed that Edmund Barton, a key leader of the Federation movement and drafter of the Constitution, would be offered the post in the first instance. The decision was defensible in terms of protocol, but it ignored the fact that Lyne had long strongly opposed federation until the passage of the referendums of 1899, and was unpopular with the leading federalist politicians.[14] Explanations for the appointment generally revolve around the precedent established by Canada, whereby the Premier of the senior colony, John A. Macdonald of Ontario, had formed the first federal Canadian government. Also, Barton was not a member of any parliament (he had resigned from the NSW Parliament earlier that year), and, although he had considerable political experience, he was considered in some quarters to be politically inept.[15] Lyne, on the other hand, was recognised as a tough and experienced politician.
However, it quickly became apparent that Lyne would not be able to form the first government. Alfred Deakin and other prominent politicians, particularly Victorian politicians, told Hopetoun they would not serve under Lyne. Lyne returned his commission on 24 December and Hopetoun sent for Edmund Barton, the leader of the federal movement and the man everybody believed was entitled to the post. Barton successfully assembled a cabinet, one that included Lyne, and it was sworn in by Hopetoun on the inauguration of the Commonwealth on New Year's Day, 1901. That afternoon, Hopetoun and the new government assembled at Government House, Sydney for the first meeting of the Federal Executive Council.
Hopetoun, wary that his actions would constitute important precedents for the new nation, generally followed pre-existing Canadian and British conventions in discharging his constitutional duties. Hopetoun was well-acquainted with many members of the first government and built a strong personal relationship with Barton, placing him in a position of respect and influence with the new federal politicians. He consulted regularly with the Prime Minister and with George Reid, the effective leader of the opposition, in the lead up to the first federal election in March 1901.
Conflict over the position
More problems soon arose though in establishing the new machinery of government. Hopetoun had brought his own
Other problems appeared with regard to the relationship between the new Governor-General and the continuing state governors. Disputes emerged between Hopetoun and several state governors—particularly South Australian governor Lord Tennyson, who would be Hopetoun's successor—over the Governor-General's right of access to dispatches and communiqués of the state governors. Questions of the independence of the states were raised and some fears of federal takeover of local affairs persisted during the disputes, until uneasy compromises were reached which saw some but not total subordination of state governors.[16] Hopetoun continued to struggle to diminish pre-existing local parochial sentiments within the states, though his position within the Commonwealth was much better publicised and secured after his co-ordination and hosting of the Royal Visit in 1901.[17] Tactful dealings with state governors and his strength at mediation helped secure that position in the early years of the Commonwealth as confidence in the new national entity was forged.
There was also resentment over the regal pomp upon which Hopetoun insisted in carrying out his role, and the expense which this entailed. Official visits to the states often incurred significant local expenses often not reimbursed by the Commonwealth, causing ructions in State-Federal relations until a resolution was reached in 1905, well after Hopetoun's term expired.[16]
Influence over the Barton government
Hopetoun also proved to be problematic as a public speaker in the new role. Though steering clear of any controversial subjects and stressing national unity and identity during his first months, in late 1901 and early 1902, he had committed several constitutional faux pas by publicly taking positions on political matters. Most notably in a speech to the Australian Natives' Association in January 1902, Hopetoun chose to discuss government policy towards the Boer War. He defended Barton's decision to commit support to the conflict, emphasised his own role in the making of the decision alongside Barton and professed a belief that it was Australia's duty to stand behind the imperial government in the war.
Though Barton and most of those who present were pleased with the patriotic speech, opposition leader George Reid quickly seized upon the issue as an example of inappropriate interference by the governor-general in political affairs that were the exclusive domain of parliament. A debate resulted in parliament which was generally critical, or at least tacitly disapproving, of Hopetoun's comments. The Bulletin summarised the opposition opinion in its editorial: "Since the day of the Governor-General's arrival, he has shown a disposition to assert, and Mr Barton to allow, powers utterly at variance with the rights of a self-governing people."[18]
Though most other opinion leaders did not go as far to state outright opposition to the governor-general's actions, they did spur important early debates as to the role of the governor-general. Barton himself admitted to some influence from the Governor-General: though initially Barton was reluctant to commit support to the Boer War, communications by Hopetoun to the Colonial Office in December 1901 revealed that Barton's position had been changed in favour of committing support and that change had most likely been driven by Hopetoun's efforts.[19]
Hopetoun also notably exercised influence over the content and passage of the
An interesting friendship developed between Lord Hopetoun and the Melbourne
Financial dispute and resignation
Hopetoun's time as governor-general came to an abrupt and embarrassing end after a dispute over the financial arrangements for the office emerged in mid-1902. The Constitutional Conventions of the 1890s had set the governor-general salary at a generous £10,000, equivalent to the Canadian office. Yet in Canada, extensive provisions had been made for travel, residence and entertaining, no provisions for which were made in the Australian case.
Discussion of this matter provoked traditional rivalries between
Victoria and New South Wales both avoided the issue and failed to pass bills allowing for the governor-general's expenses while present in either state to be paid by the state itself. By the assumption of duties in 1901, Hopetoun still did not have a formal allowance approved for his expenses, but was privately assured by Barton that at least £8000 per annum would be at his disposal for the conduct of vice-regal duties.
Hopetoun was advised by the Colonial Office that he should limit his entertaining and expenses while the situation remained officially unresolved, but Hopetoun was by nature an extravagant figure in public life and significant resources were expended by Hopetoun travelling and hosting the Royal Visit. Barton meanwhile delayed on preparing a Commonwealth bill to cover the costs, stalling until mid-1902 to present the bill.
By this time, the euphoria of the royal tour had ended and political focus was on the still serious recession and drought that were straining the Australian economy. Barton's speech in favour of the £8000 allowance was weak, and every other speaker in the debate on the bill opposed the legislation, which was subsequently amended into an unrecognisable measure designed to recoup the expense of the royal visit. The parliament then made it clear that no allowance would be approved for the vice-regal activities beyond what salary was already paid. Hopetoun was shocked: he had already incurred very great costs out of his own pocket to cover the expense of the office, which had strained his personal fortunes.
Publicly humiliated by the parliamentary rebuke, still in relatively ill health, and now under financial duress; on 5 May Hopetoun announced to the Colonial Office his desire to be recalled from the position. The Colonial Office expressed displeasure at the actions of the Barton government and complied with the request.
Though newspapers and politicians were divided on who was to blame for the sudden resignation, and many tried to dissuade Hopetoun from his decision, ultimately it became clear that Hopetoun's perceptions that the governor-general would be a position analogous to the
Hopetoun and his family left Australia from
In the wake of his resignation, Alfred Deakin provided an explanatory editorial under alias for the British public in The Morning Post: "Our first Governor General may be said to have taken with him all the decorations and display and some of the anticipations that splendidly surrounded the inauguration of our national existence...we have...revised our estimate of high office, stripping it too hastily, but not unkindly, of its festal trappings. The stately ceremonial was fitting, but it has been completed."[23]
Later life
Though he greatly desired appointment to the Viceroyalty of India, Linlithgow was prevented from attaining the position by poor health and adverse political developments, though his son Victor, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, eventually assumed this role (after rejecting the post of Australian Governor-General in 1935) from 1936 to 1943. His grandson Lord Glendevon married the daughter of the English novelist W. Somerset Maugham.
In 1904 he accepted the position of President of the influential Scottish conservationist organisation the Cockburn Association, retaining the role until 1907.[24]
His final political appointment was to that of
Arms
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References
- ^ "Hopetoun Hotel including Interior". NSW Government Office of Environment & Heritage. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ Cunneen 1983b, p. 3
- ^ a b Cunneen 2011
- ^ "No. 25974". The London Gazette. 13 September 1889. p. 4943.
- ^ Cunneen 1983b, p. 4
- ^ a b c Cunneen 1983a
- ^ Carroll 2004, p. 32
- ^ Cunneen 1983b, pp. 6–7
- ^ "No. 10694". The Edinburgh Gazette. 23 July 1895. p. 1101.
- ^ "No. 27237". The London Gazette. 12 October 1900. p. 6252.
- ^ Cunneen 1983b, p. 7
- ^ "Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General 29 October 1900 (UK)". Documenting a Democracy. Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
- ^ "Queen Victoria's Instructions to the Governor-General 29 October 1900 (UK)". Documenting a Democracy. Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
- ^ La Nauze 1957
- ^ Cunneen 1983b, p. 10
- ^ a b Wright 1970, pp. 219–225
- ^ Carroll 2004, p. 36
- ^ The Bulletin. 8 February 1902.
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(help) - ^ Cunneen 1983b, pp. 23–24
- ^ Carroll 2004, pp. 37–38
- ^ "No. 11456". The Edinburgh Gazette. 28 October 1902. p. 1061.
- ^ Cunneen 1983b, p. 35
- ^ Deakin, Alfred (2 September 1902). The Morning Post.
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(help) - ^ "Historic Cockburn Association Office-Bearers".
- ^ Debrett's peerage, baronetage, knightage, and companionage. London : Dean & Son. 1903. p. 516, LINLITHGOW, MARQUESS OF. (Hope.). Retrieved 26 June 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Paul, James Balfour (1907). The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom. Volume IV. Edinburgh : D. Douglas. pp. 484–505, Linlithgow. Retrieved 26 June 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Carroll, Brian (2004). Australia's Governors-General: From Hopetoun to Jeffery. Sydney: Rosenberg. ISBN 1-877058-21-1.
- Cunneen, Christopher (1983a). "Hopetoun, seventh Earl of (1860–1908)". ISSN 1833-7538.
- Cunneen, Christopher (1983b). King's Men: Australia's Governors-General from Hopetoun to Isaacs. Sydney: G. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-86861-238-3.
- Cunneen, Christopher (January 2011) [2004]. "Hope, John Adrian Louis, seventh earl of Hopetoun and first marquess of Linlithgow (1860–1908)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33973. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- La Nauze, J. A. (1957). The Hopetoun Blunder: the Appointment of the First Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, December 1900. Carlton: Melbourne University Press.
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Hope, John Adrian Loius". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
- Souter, Gavin (1976). Lion and Kangaroo: the Initiation of Australia, 1901–1919. Sydney: Collins.
- Torrance, David (2006). The Scottish Secretaries. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 978-1841584768.
- Wright, Don (1970). Shadow of Dispute: Aspects of Commonwealth-State Relations, 1901–1910. Canberra: Australian National University Press. ISBN 978-0708108109.