Thomas Gore Browne
Sir George Grey | |
---|---|
Succeeded by | Sir George Grey |
2nd Governor of Tasmania | |
In office 11 December 1861 – 30 December 1868 | |
Monarch | Victoria |
Preceded by | Sir Henry Young |
Succeeded by | Charles Du Cane |
Personal details | |
Born | Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, UK | 3 July 1807
Died | 17 April 1887 London, England, UK | (aged 79)
Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne .
Early life
Browne was born on 3 July 1807 in
Military career
In 1824, Browne kept up his family's military tradition and joined the
Now a major, Browne was posted to the
Browne retired from the British Army on half-pay in 1851 and shortly took up an appointment as Governor of the island of Saint Helena.[3] He served in this capacity from July 1851 to December 1854,[4] and during this time worked towards improving the island's water supply.[2]
Marriage
In 1851 Browne married Harriet Louisa Campbell. His wife was a considerable support to his political career. She was over 20 years his junior and was well read, socially accomplished with a pleasant personality, and had an excellent understanding of the political environment in which she and her husband circulated. In addition to her influence over Browne, her hospitality and contribution to the social and cultural life during Browne's placements assisted him in influencing others to support his political views.[5]
Governor of New Zealand
In September 1855, Browne was appointed Governor of New Zealand, replacing Administrator Robert Wynyard. His handling of Māori land issues were a contributing factor in the outbreak of the First Taranaki War in a new phase of the New Zealand Wars: despite divisions among Waitara Māori over the ownership of land, Browne persisted with the purchase of the disputed Pekapeka block, further inflaming tensions between Māori and British settlers.[6]
On 5 March 1860, Browne ordered the military occupation of the land, leading to the outbreak of war twelve days later. The following year, he negotiated a truce to end the fighting in the region. His governorship term ended in May 1861; rather than extend it, the Colonial Office in London replaced him with Sir George Grey.
The town of Gore, New Zealand was named after him.[7]
Governor of Tasmania
In December 1861, Browne was appointed Governor of Tasmania. At the time, Tasmania was struggling economically and people were leaving for better employment prospects on the Australian mainland. To counter this, Browne implemented measures to encourage immigration. He also worked towards improving public education and training in the trades. A popular governor for most of his term, he lost goodwill when he displayed favouritism when filling a public service position.[2] In January 1869, he left Australia for England. While in Melbourne, his point of departure from the country, his youngest child died.[8]
Later life
After being appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1869, Browne, with the assistance of Edward Cardwell, the Secretary of State for War, was appointed Administrator of Bermuda. This was to help secure Browne a pension[1] and he served in this capacity from May 1870 to April 1871.[2]
Brown died in London on 17 April 1887. He was survived by his wife,
Notes
- ^ a b Dalton, B. J. "Browne, Thomas Robert Gore". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
- ^ a b c Sinclair, Keith (1966). "Browne, Sir Thomas Gore". An Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ Turner, John. "The Governor of St Helena". Saint Helena Island Info. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ "Browne, Harriet Louisa". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ a b Lloyd, Ernest Marsh (1901). Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography (1st supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 305–306. . In
- ^ "District Information". Gore District, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ "Departure of Governor Gore Browne for England". Daily Southern Cross. No. 3591, Vol. XXV. 21 January 1869.
- ^ "Dame Ethel Locke King". The Times. London. 6 August 1956.
- ^ "Death of Bishop of Kimberley". Diamond Fields Advertiser. 16 March 1928.