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Comptroller General of Convicts (Western Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Comptroller General of Convicts was the head of the convict establishment in Western Australia
.
The office existed from 1850, when Western Australia first became a penal colony
, until 1872, four years after penal transportation
to Western Australia had ceased.
Western Australia's first Comptroller General of Convicts, Edmund Henderson
, arrived in the colony with the first convicts on board the Scindian
in June 1850. He was described as "a kindly and just man, moderate and understanding, opposed to the harsher forms of discipline." Respected by both colonists and convicts, Henderson administered Western Australia's convict establishment for thirteen years; Battye writes that "its success was no doubt due to his wisdom and tact."
After Henderson's resignation in 1863, William Newland
was appointed his successor. Newland's arrival closely followed the arrival of Governor
John Hampton
. Hampton had previously been Comptroller General of Convicts in Van Diemen's Land
, and assumed far more direct control of Western Australia's convict establishment than had his predecessors. Newland and Hampton constantly disagreed with each other, and Hampton complained to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
that Newland was incompetent. Newland was eventually removed in 1866.
While awaiting a successor to the position, Governor Hampton appointed his son, George Hampton
, to act in the position. George Hampton had no particular qualifications for the position, and already held a number of salaried posts. This "unusually blatant act of nepotism" was extremely unpopular within the colony, both Hamptons thereafter being figures of public hostility and ridicule. Governor Hampton lobbied for his son to be confirmed in the position, but was unsuccessful.
Under George Hampton, convict discipline became extremely strict. Solitary confinement
was re-introduced, and convicts were flogged
for serious offences. Escape attempts increased markedly, and there were even attempts by convicts to kill George Hampton.
Henry Wakeford was appointed Comptroller General of Convicts in 1867, and the following year Governor Hampton's term ended. Wakeford reduced the size of the chain gang
s and the number of floggings, and the system returned to what it had been under Henderson.
Transportation to Western Australia ceased in 1868. In the following years, the number of convicts slowly diminished, and the convict establishment was gradually wound up. In 1872 the office of Comptroller General of Convicts was abolished, and Wakeford was transferred to the Colonial Office
. A temporary position of Acting Comptroller General was then created.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The office existed from 1850, when Western Australia first became a penal colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
, until 1872, four years after penal transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Western Australia had ceased.
History
Edmund Henderson
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edmund Yeamans Walcott Henderson KCB was an officer in the British Army who was Comptroller-General of Convicts in Western Australia from 1850 to 1863, Home Office Surveyor-General of Prisons from 1863 to 1869, and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, head of the London...
, arrived in the colony with the first convicts on board the Scindian
Scindian
Scindian is widely considered the first convict ship to transport convicts to Western Australia.A barque of 650 tons, Scindian was constructed at Sunderland, England in 1844 and named after the Indian Scindia dynasty...
in June 1850. He was described as "a kindly and just man, moderate and understanding, opposed to the harsher forms of discipline." Respected by both colonists and convicts, Henderson administered Western Australia's convict establishment for thirteen years; Battye writes that "its success was no doubt due to his wisdom and tact."
After Henderson's resignation in 1863, William Newland
William Newland
William Newland is the name of:* William C. Newland, Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina* William D. Newland , United States Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient* William R. Newland , New Zealand-British studio potter...
was appointed his successor. Newland's arrival closely followed the arrival of Governor
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
John Hampton
John Hampton
John Stephen Hampton was Governor of Western Australia from 1862 to 1868.-Early life:Little is known of John Hampton's early life. His death certificate states that he was born in 1810, but other evidence suggests 1806 or perhaps 1807; these latter figures are considered more likely...
. Hampton had previously been Comptroller General of Convicts in Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
, and assumed far more direct control of Western Australia's convict establishment than had his predecessors. Newland and Hampton constantly disagreed with each other, and Hampton complained to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
that Newland was incompetent. Newland was eventually removed in 1866.
While awaiting a successor to the position, Governor Hampton appointed his son, George Hampton
George Hampton
George Essex Hampton was an unpopular public official in colonial Western Australia.The son of Governor of Western Australia Dr John Hampton, George Hampton arrived in the colony with his father in February 1862 on board the Stathallen...
, to act in the position. George Hampton had no particular qualifications for the position, and already held a number of salaried posts. This "unusually blatant act of nepotism" was extremely unpopular within the colony, both Hamptons thereafter being figures of public hostility and ridicule. Governor Hampton lobbied for his son to be confirmed in the position, but was unsuccessful.
Under George Hampton, convict discipline became extremely strict. Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
was re-introduced, and convicts were flogged
Flagellation
Flagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
for serious offences. Escape attempts increased markedly, and there were even attempts by convicts to kill George Hampton.
Henry Wakeford was appointed Comptroller General of Convicts in 1867, and the following year Governor Hampton's term ended. Wakeford reduced the size of the chain gang
Chain gang
A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone...
s and the number of floggings, and the system returned to what it had been under Henderson.
Transportation to Western Australia ceased in 1868. In the following years, the number of convicts slowly diminished, and the convict establishment was gradually wound up. In 1872 the office of Comptroller General of Convicts was abolished, and Wakeford was transferred to the Colonial Office
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
. A temporary position of Acting Comptroller General was then created.
List of Comptrollers General of Convicts in WA
| Comptroller General | Period in office |
| Edmund Henderson Edmund Henderson Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edmund Yeamans Walcott Henderson KCB was an officer in the British Army who was Comptroller-General of Convicts in Western Australia from 1850 to 1863, Home Office Surveyor-General of Prisons from 1863 to 1869, and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, head of the London... |
June 1850–January 1863 |
| William Newland William Newland William Newland is the name of:* William C. Newland, Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina* William D. Newland , United States Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient* William R. Newland , New Zealand-British studio potter... |
January 1863–February 1866 |
| George Hampton George Hampton George Essex Hampton was an unpopular public official in colonial Western Australia.The son of Governor of Western Australia Dr John Hampton, George Hampton arrived in the colony with his father in February 1862 on board the Stathallen... |
February 1866–May 1867 (acting) |
| Henry Wakeford | May 1867–September 1872 |
See also
- Convict era of Western Australia
- Fremantle PrisonFremantle PrisonFremantle Prison is a former Australian prison located in The Terrace, Fremantle, in Western Australia. The site includes the prison, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, tunnels, and prisoner art...
- History of Western AustraliaHistory of Western AustraliaThe human history of Western Australia commenced between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago with the arrival of Indigenous Australians on the north-west coast. The first inhabitants expanded the range of their settlement to the east and south of the continent. The first recorded European contact was in...
- Swan River ColonySwan River ColonyThe Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...