Charles Hotham
Contents
Background
Following the resignation of Charles La Trobe in April 1853, former Naval Officer Sir Charles Hotham was appointed Lieutenant Governor in December. His eventual arrival in June 1854 was celebrated in Melbourne and gold diggers from across the Victorian goldfields waited anxiously to see what reforms their new governor would support.[1]
Shortly after his arrival, the Lieutenant Governor and Lady Hotham visited the goldfields, where they were generally well received by the diggers, who voiced their concerns with the hope that the new governor would make beneficial changes to the licensing system.[2]
In his despatch on 18 September 1854 to Sir George Grey, the colonial secretary in the English Cabinet, Hotham played down the severity of these grievances, praising the character of the people of the goldfields, and declaring them to be devoted to order and good government. It is clear from this narrative that Hotham’s idea of good governance was markedly different from the one fought for by the men of Eureka.[3]
Goldfields Involvement, 1854
Post 1854 Experiences
See also
Further Reading
Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.
References
- ↑ http://prov.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/eureka-on-trial/hothams-narrative, sighted 07 May 2013.
- ↑ http://prov.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/eureka-on-trial/hothams-narrative, sighted 07 May 2013.
- ↑ http://prov.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/eureka-on-trial/hothams-narrative, sighted 07 May 2013.
External links
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hotham-sir-charles-3803/text6027
