William Paterson (explorer)

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William Patterson

William Paterson (born August 17, 1755 in Montrose , † June 21, 1810 near Cape Horn ) was a Scottish soldier, explorer and botanist who is known for the early settlement of Tasmania . He was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemens Land (then the name of Tasmania) and Governor of the British colony of New South Wales .

biography

Early years

Paterson was born in Montrose , a small port town in Scotland . Even as a teenager he was interested in plants. The rich and eccentric Mary Bowes , Countess of Strathmore, sent him to South Africa to collect plants. He reached Cape Town on board the " Houghton " in May 1777. He undertook four explorations to Table Mountain and the hinterland between May 1777 and March 1780.

Career

botanist

In Australia, Paterson led an expedition to the Hunter Valley and the Paterson River in 1801 , which was later renamed in honor of Governor Philip Gidley King .

In September 1793 he looked in vain for a way through the Blue Mountains on an expedition . However, he found the Grose River and discovered some new plants.

In 1804 he founded the first settlements in northern Tasmania on an expedition with Port Dalrymple and Launceston . He explored the Tamar River and went as far as the North Esk River , as far as no European had dared to go before him. During this time in Tasmania he corresponded regularly with the eminent naturalist and botanist Sir Joseph Banks and sent him newly discovered plants.

military

Paterson was posted to the 98th Regiment of Foot in Scotland in 1781 , where he served in India and was promoted to lieutenant in 1783. After this regiment was disbanded, he returned to England and was transferred to the 73rd Regiment of Foot in 1787 .

In June 1789 he became captain of the New South Wales Corps , certainly on the recommendation of Banks. He completed a few months of training and then went on a sailing ship and reached Sydney in October 1791. He then served on a command Norfolk Island from November 1791 to March 1793. In 1794 he became Lieutenant Colonel and Deputy Commander of the New South Wales Corps and worked for Governor John Hunter. During this time, he approved more land and prisoners for their services to the officers of the Corps, and endowed them with great authority.

Between 1804 and 1808 he was lieutenant governor in the north of Van Diemens Land . He first founded the York Town settlement on the north coast of the island. But this was given up in 1808. Another settlement he founded in 1806 on the site of today's Launceston . That same year, duty to the New South Wales Corps required him to return to Sydney, but he did not arrive there until 1807 and stayed until December 1808.

During this period, officers of the New South Wales Corps, also known as The Rum Corps , had trade under control after Arthur Phillip returned to England for health reasons and no new governor was appointed. Since there was no valid or recognized currency, brandy developed into a currency. The Corps operated a lively liquor trade that degenerated into drinking and gambling addiction as well as numerous crimes and endangered the coexistence of the population in New South Wales, which has now grown to 4,000 people. Several governors such as John Hunter and Governor Philip Gidley King had failed in their attempts to restrict the officers' power.

When William Bligh became governor, he objected to the machinations of the officers of the New South Wales Corps before and after a trial in which officers of the New South Wales Corps openly opposed a judge’s judgment of January 25, 1808 and failed to arrest the convict. he was arrested by Colonel Johnstone of the Corps. Johnstone took over the colony and suspended all civil servants. Lt. Governor Foveaux was then in London and when he returned he deposed Johnstone. Foveaux was in turn deposed by Paterson. Paterson was named Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales on January 1, 1809 , and took over the New South Wales Corps in June 1809. Paterson held Bligh captive for a while and tried to persuade him to return to England. After a long hesitation, he agreed to this. Many disagreed with the forcible removal of Bligh and petitioned Bligh. The petitioner had Paterson thrown in jail. Lachlan Macquarie replaced him at the end of 1809.

Paterson's health began to deteriorate and he left Sydney for England on May 12, 1810, and died a few weeks later on board a ship off Cape Horn .

Since 1787 he was married to Elizabeth Driver. She married Francis Grose after his death in April 1814, but he died a month later.

Honors

The Paterson River, a tributary of the Hunter River, is named after him.

literature

  • Lieut. William Paterson: A Narrative of Four Journeys into the Country of the Hottentotts and Caffria. In the Years One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven, Eight, and Nine. J. Johnson ... 1789.
  • Alison Alexander (Ed.): The Companion to Tasmanian History , Center for Tasmanian Historical Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart 2005. ISBN 1-86295-223-X .
  • LL Robson: A history of Tasmania. Volume 1. Van Diemen's Land from the earliest times to 1855 , Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1983, ISBN 0-19-554364-5 .

Web links

Commons : William Paterson (explorer)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ RK Brummitt, CE Powell: Authors of Plant Names . Ed .: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . 1992, ISBN 1-84246-085-4 .
  2. ↑ David S. Macmillan: Paterson, William (1755-1810) , Australian Dictionary of Biography, pp. 317-319, Volume 2, Melbourne University Press, 1967. Online . Retrieved June 18, 2009.
  3. ↑ Captein Arthur Phillip: “ Australia. The establishment of a colony, ” edited by Rudolf Plischke. P. 182 f. Lamuv. Göttingen 2001. ISBN 3-88977-593-4 .
personal data
SURNAME Paterson, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Governor of Tasmania and New South Wales in Australia
DATE OF BIRTH 17th August 1755
PLACE OF BIRTH Montrose
DATE OF DEATH June 21, 1810
Place of death Cape Horn