William Sorell
William Sorell (* 1775 presumably in the West Indies ; † June 4, 1848 in London , United Kingdom ) was a British officer and lieutenant governor of Van Diemens Land (now Tasmania) from 1817 to 1824.
Life
As the son of a major general , Sorell joined the Royal Navy in 1790 . In 1793 he was badly wounded near the West Indies. At the turn of the century he took part in the Second Coalition War and fought in North Holland and Spain . From 1807 to 1811 he was in the Cape Colony , where he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In 1813 he left the army.
On April 3, 1816, Sorell was appointed lieutenant governor of Van Diemens Land. After a brief visit to Governor Lachlan Macquarie in Sydney , he took over the office of his predecessor Thomas Davey on April 9, 1817 . In the following he reported on the poor condition of the colony. Embezzlement is the order of the day and the convicts are under inadequate security; the extent of assaults by escaped convicts ("bushranger") borders on civil war .
Sorell soon succeeded in arresting the criminal gangs, including the most feared one under the leadership of Michael Howe . In less than 18 months of his tenure, he had restored order. For the most dangerous criminals he built the penal colony Macquarie Harbor . He laid down the rights and duties of every civil servant in detail and thus laid the foundation for a functioning colonial government. He also explored the island's interior on several expeditions. Under Sorell's reign, the colony began to flourish economically; for the first time it was possible to produce a surplus of food and with a delivery of sheep from Sydney, sheep farming began on Van Diemens Land. News of Sorell's successful policies soon spread throughout Britain , attracting new settlers to Van Diemens Land.
Sorell's term of office ended on May 14, 1824. On his arrival in the colonial administration in England, he was welcomed benevolently, but despite his successes never received a position as governor again. He died in London in 1848.
literature
- John Reynolds: Sorell, William . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 1966–2012 (English).
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Davey |
Governor of Tasmania 1817–1824 |
George Arthur |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sorell, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1775 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | unsure: West Indies |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 4, 1848 |
| Place of death | London , UK |