William Weston holds an odd distinction: the shortest-serving Premier in Tasmania’s history, in office for just 17 days in May 1857. Every list of Tasmanian premiers files him this way: a footnote number, filed alongside Champ’s 117 days and Gregson’s 58 as evidence that the colony’s first parliament couldn’t hold Read more
On Saturday 15 May 1824, a small notice appeared in the Hobart Town Gazette. Colonel William Sorell, who two days earlier had formally handed the government of Van Diemen’s Land to his successor, had ‘left Town, to reside for a short time in the Government House, at New Norfolk.’[1] Read more
Click on these links for Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 In August, 1851, when the English Parliament passed the Australian Constitutions Act it confirmed legislative powers on VDL. A blended legislative council could now be established: part nominated, part elected. 16 electorates were declared, dividing Read more
Click on these links for: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 In 1828 the British government realised that the colony of Van Diemen’s Land (VDL) needed more than just one governor and a few officials to run the show, so the Imperial Act (9 Geo. IV, c. 83) allowed for Read more
Click on these links for: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 In January 1837, Sir John Franklin (1786 – 1847), arctic hero and explorer, succeeded George Arthur (1784 – 1854, Australia’s longest serving colonial governor) as governor of Van Diemen’s Land. Many of the free settlers hoped that the autocratic Read more
Click here for Part 2 and here for Part 1 With the reading of the Royal Charter of Justice in Hobart on 7th May, 1824 the next step was for Governor George Arthur to select the men who would make up the first Legislative Council or Crown Council of Van Diemen’s Read more
Part 2. Click here for Part 1 In 1804 the colony of Hobart was established by Colonel David Collins (1756 – 1810). He knew what he was doing, having spent nearly 9 years as Judge-Advocate, Lieutenant-Governor and Colonial Secretary in the New South Wales colony under Governor Arthur Phillip from Read more
Part 1. When considering the history of a city, it’s easy enough to point to a building or a landmark and tell the story of that very visible, tangible place – as long as you have your facts straight. With an excellent library right here in the middle of town, Read more