Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler, KH (21 July 1795 – 7 May 1869) was the second governor of South Australia. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country He replaced John Hindmarsh who was recalled to England in 1838. Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH RN (1785 – 29 July 1860) was the first England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common He was governor from 17 October 1838 until 15 May 1841. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link
Gawler was the son of Captain Samuel Gawler who was killed in battle in India in 1804. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country George Gawler was educated at the military college, Great Marlow, and proved to be a diligent and clever student. Great Marlow is a Civil parish within Wycombe district in the English county of Buckinghamshire located north of the town of Marlow In October 1810 he obtained a commission as an ensign in the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot and in January 1812 went with his regiment to the Peninsular War. The 52nd (Oxfordshire Regiment of Foot was a Light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France He was a member of a storming party at Badajoz, and was wounded and saved from death by a private soldier who lost his own life. He was in Spain until 1814. The regiment returned to England and Gawler, now a lieutenant, fought at the Battle of Waterloo. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium He remained in France with the army of occupation until 1818, and in 1820 married Maria Cox. Both were sincerely religious and when the 52nd was sent to New Brunswick in 1823 they did much social and religious work. Gawler returned to England in 1826 and from 1830 to 1832 was engaged in recruiting. He reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1834 and in 1837 received the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, third class. The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, was a British or rather Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April
In 1838 Gawler was appointed governor of South Australia in succession to Captain Hindmarsh. When Gawler arrived in October 1838, the colony had almost no public finances, underpaid officials and 4000 immigrants living in makeshift accommodation. Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common He was allowed a maximum of £12,000 expenditure a year, with an additional £5,000 credit for emergencies. His first goal was to address delays over rural settlement and primary production. He persuaded Charles Sturt to come from New South Wales to work as surveyor-general, personally overseeing the surveys in the meantime, as Colonel William Light had resigned due to ailing health and the demands being placed on him without adequate staff. Captain Charles Napier Sturt (28 April 1795 – 16 June 1869 was an English explorer of Australia, part of the European Exploration of Australia Colonel William Light, 27 April 1786 &ndash 6 October 1839, was a British military officer and first Surveyor-General Gawler appointed more colonial officials, set up a police force, took part in exploration, and improved the facilities at Port Adelaide during his tenure as governor. Port Adelaide ( is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. The first permanent Government House was built during his time, what is now the East Wing of the present building. Government House, located in Adelaide, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.
Due to droughts in other colonies in 1840, before South Australia was self-sufficient for food, the cost of living increased rapidly. Gawler increased public expenditure to stave off collapse, which resulted in bankruptcy and changes to the way the colony was run. Over £200,000 had been spent and the land fund in London had been exhausted. A £155,000 loan was approved by the British Parliament (later made a gift) and Captain George Grey was sent to replace Gawler. For other men with a similar name see George Grey (disambiguation or George Gray Sir George Grey, KCB ( 14 April In his time in office Governor Gawler had managed to make South Australia self-sufficient in terms of agriculture and had restored public confidence.
Gawler's work was long misjudged, largely because his successor Grey, in his dispatches, made the worst of his predecessor's acts, without suggesting the difficulties under which he had worked. Gawler was a gallant and energetic officer who, when he found the settlers faced with disaster, saw at once what it was necessary to do, and saved the colony. Though Mills in his Colonization on of Australia accepts the view that Gawler had been guilty of carelessness and extravagance and cannot be wholly acquitted of blame, the extraordinary difficulties with which he was faced are acknowledged. Charles Sturt and other men on the spot generally agreed that his administration had greatly benefited the settlement, and the select committee on South Australia reported that the critics of his expenditure were "unable to point out any specific item by which it could have been considerably reduced without great public inconvenience". Gawler in being recalled suffered the common fate of early governors, and, however much he may have been blamed in his lifetime, later investigations have given him an honoured place among the founders of South Australia.
The town of Gawler was named after him, as it was surveyed soon after he arrived. Gawler is reputedly the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative of the colony The Gawler Ranges at the north end of Eyre Peninsula are also named after him. The Gawler Ranges are a range of mountains in South Australia to the north of Eyre Peninsula. Eyre Peninsula is a triangular Peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight
References
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Gawler, George". Dictionary of Australian Biography. The Dictionary of Australian Biography, published in 1949, is a reference work by Percival Serle containing information on notable people associated with Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain 1949 edition of Dictionary of Australian Biography from Project Gutenberg of Australia, which is in the public domain in Australia and the United States of America. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Dictionary of Australian Biography, published in 1949, is a reference work by Percival Serle containing information on notable people associated with
External links
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Captain John Hindmarsh, KH, RN |
Governor of South Australia 1838–1841 |
Succeeded by Sir George Edward Grey KCB |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic