William Hobson
Captain William Hobson (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Royal Navy, who served as the first Governor of New Zealand.[1] He was a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.[2]
William Hobson | |
|---|---|
| File:William Hobson portrait by James Ingram McDonald 1913.png | |
| 1st Governor of New Zealand | |
| In office 3 May 1841 – 10 September 1842 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Robert FitzRoy |
| Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand | |
| In office 30 July 1839 – 3 May 1841 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governor | George Gipps (Governor of New South Wales) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 September 1792 Waterford, Kingdom of Ireland |
| Died | 10 September 1842 (aged 49) Auckland, Colony of New Zealand |
| Resting place | Symonds Street Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) | Eliza Elliott |
| Children | 5 |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | 22x20px Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1803–1842 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | |
Hobson was dispatched from London in July 1839, with instructions to take the constitutional steps needed to establish a British colony in New Zealand.[3] He was sworn in as Lieutenant-Governor in Sydney (under George Gipps) and arrived in New Zealand on 29 January 1840.
On 5 February 1840, Hobson met with Māori chiefs at Waitangi, and the following morning they signed a treaty by which the chiefs purportedly voluntarily transferred sovereignty to the British Crown in return for guarantees respecting their lands and possessions and their rights as British subjects. Three months later, Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty over the islands of New Zealand. He also selected the site for a new capital, which he named Auckland.
He was born in Waterford, Kingdom of Ireland, the son of Samuel Hobson, a barrister and Martha Jones.[1] He grew up in an Anglo-Irish Anglican family.[4] He attended a (barely) private school, but despite this disadvantage he joined the Royal Navy on 25 August 1803 as a second-class volunteer. He served in the Napoleonic Wars and was later involved in the suppression of piracy in the Caribbean. He became a midshipman in 1806 and some seven years later was a first lieutenant.
William Hobson Media
- Appointment of William Hobson as Lieutenant Governor, 1839.pdf
1839 document appointing Hobson as lieutenant-governor of New Zealand. The title "lieutenant-governor" signifies that Hobson was actually deputy to another Governor.
- NZ Retro Pattern Crown 1840 Victoria Waitangi.jpg
Retro Pattern Crown: Tāmati Wāka Nene shaking hands with Hobson at Waitangi on 6 February 1840
An extant copy of Hobson's treaty
Grave of Captain William Hobson
References
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- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Template:DNZB