George Le Hunte

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George Le Hunte, around 1903

Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte GCMG (born August 20, 1852 in Artramont , County Wexford , Ireland ; † January 29, 1925 in Crowborough , England ) was a British colonial administrator and governor of South Australia and Trinidad and Tobago .

Life

After attending school at Eton College and a law degree at Trinity College , which he graduated with a Masters in 1880 , Hunte was barrister and member of the Inner Temple Bar Association . In 1875 he was named private secretary to Arthur Gordon and served in the Fiji Islands from 1875 to 1887 . On February 14, 1884, he married Caroline Rachel Clowes.

From 1887 to 1894 Le Hunte was President of Dominica , then from 1894 to 1897 Colonial Minister of Barbados and Mauritius (1897). In 1899 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of British New Guinea . There he tried to expand the influence of the colonial government, supported the work of Christian missionaries and promoted the formation of new European settlements. Due to severe financial problems, however, he was hardly able to implement anything. After the missionaries James Chalmers and Oliver Tomkins fell victim to cannibals on Goaribari Island in 1901 , Le Hunte put together a punitive expedition. Although the missionary society in London spoke out against acts of revenge, the expedition under his leadership killed around 25 natives and destroyed much of the village. Le Hunte declared his action justified, since the natives deserved it by their deeds; however, he has been criticized in Great Britain and Australia.

After a year in England, Le Hunte was appointed governor of the Australian state of South Australia in July 1903. During his tenure, he was given the title of "the children's governor" because of his affection for children. He advised Prime Minister Alfred Deakin in particular on the administration of the southern part of Papua New Guinea , the territory of Papua , which at that time still belonged to Australia . In December 1908 he was given the post of governor of Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1915 he retired and settled in Crowborough, England. On January 29, 1925 he died of cancer.

Awards

Individual evidence

  1. a b Knights and Dames: KIN-LYV at Leigh Rayment's Peerage

literature