Lieutenant-ColonelSir Charles Augustus FitzRoy, KCB, KH (10 June 1796 – 16 February 1858) was a British Army officer, politician and colonial administrator who held governorships in several British colonies during the 19th century.
Governor of Prince Edward Island and the Leeward Islands
Sir Charles was appointed as the eleventh Governor of Prince Edward Island off the coast of Canada on 31 March 1837, and was granted a knighthood just before his departure. He returned to England in 1841 and shortly afterwards was made Governor of the Leeward Islands in the West Indies until 1845.
Governor of New South Wales
Sir Charles was chosen as the tenth Governor of the colony of New South Wales by Lord Stanley in 1845. FitzRoy replaced Sir George Gipps as governor who had been a strong ruler but had provoked the animosity of many in the colony. It is likely that FitzRoy was chosen because he tended to be more appeasing in his approach. FitzRoy, his wife and his son George arrived in the colony on board HMS Carysfort on 2 August 1846. Soon after his arrival he was asked to use his influence to procure the disallowance of an act of the Tasmanian legislature imposing a duty of 15% on products imported from New South Wales.
Fitzroy brought before the British government the advisability of some superior functionary being appointed, to whom all measures passed by local legislatures should be referred before being assented to. In the long discussion over the separation of the Port Phillip district, Fitzroy showed tact and himself favoured bi-cameral legislatures for the new constitutions. The need for some type of federation between the various colonies was recognised, and as a step towards this Fitzroy was given a commission in 1850 appointing him governor-general of the Australian colonies. During his governorship great steps were made in the development of New South Wales. Transportation of convicts ceased, the Sydney University was founded, a branch of the royal mint was established and responsible government was granted.[2]
In 1847, Fitzroy served briefly as Governor of the Colony of North Australia, although his lieutenant-governor, George Barney had the main responsibility for establishing the new colony under FitzRoy's direction. His decision in 1847 to allow the building of a horse racing track in Parramatta was the catalyst for the creation of Cumberland Oval, a venue which hosted racing, cricket, and in the 20th century, motorsports & was the location that Parramatta Stadium and further on the Western Sydney Stadium were built upon.
A memorial to Mary FitzRoy on the wall of St James' Church, Sydney
After sixteen months in the colony, Sir Charles' wife Mary was killed in a coach accident on 7 December 1847.[3] A distraught FitzRoy considered resigning and returning to England, but his finances did not permit it.[4] A memorial to Lady Mary Fitzroy is in St James' Church, Sydney.[3]
In 1850, Governor FitzRoy received the gold miner and entrepreneur, Edward Hargraves after he had discovered traces of gold at Ophir, New South Wales.[5]
Sir Charles remained in New South Wales for eight eventful years, which saw many changes take place in the Australian colonies, not in the least being the first tentative steps towards Federation of the Australian states. In 1853, FitzRoy was appointed as Governor of Van Diemen's Land, South Australia and Victoria – a pre-Federation Governor-General of Australia, with wide-ranging powers to intervene in inter-colonial disputes.[2][6][4]
Later years and death
On 28 January 1855 he departed Australia and returned to England. On 11 September, his eldest son Augustus (a Captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery) was killed in the Crimean War. On 11 December, he married Margaret Gordon (widow of a Melbourne land agent).
FitzRoy died in Piccadilly, London on 16 February 1858 at the age of 61.
Family
Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy married, firstly, Lady Mary Lennox (15 August 1790 – 7 December 1847), first-born child of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, on 11 March 1820. They had 4 children:[7]
Captain Augustus Charles Lennox FitzRoy (20 September 1821 – 11 September 1855)
George Henry FitzRoy (13 September 1826 – 8 July 1868)
Commander Arthur George FitzRoy (20 March 1827 – 9 January 1861)
Lady Mary died from a carriage accident in Parramatta Park, outside Government House, in 1847. Within a year of her death, rumours were circulated about the colony of New South Wales about FitzRoy's 'womanising' ways. In 1850, FitzRoy made a visit to Berrima, to inspect the Fitzroy Iron Works. The Governor stayed at the Surveyor General's Inn, operated by former boxing champion Edward "Ned" Chalker (sometimes Charker). Ned's step-daughter, Mary Ann Chalker, who was 18 at the time, worked there. Nine months later, she gave birth to a son, named Charles Augustus FitzRoy, after his father, the Governor.[8] This boy was later adopted by ex-convict John Fitzsimons and his family.
Charles Augustus FitzRoy Fitzsimons (9 November 1850 – 19 July 1921)
Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy married, secondly (after his return to England), Margaret Gordon, on 11 December 1855. There was no issue from this marriage.
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