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David Collins (governor)
Encyclopedia
Colonel
David Collins (3 March 1754 – 24 March 1810) was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania
in the Commonwealth of Australia.
officer Arthur Tooker Collins. His paternal grandfather was the historian Arthur Collins
. David went to Exeter Grammar School before joining the Royal Marines as an Ensign
at the age of 14. He was promoted second lieutenant
on 20 February 1771. He was serving aboard HMS Southampton when Queen Matilda of Denmark was dramatically rescued.
Collins went to North America early in 1775, and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill
, where the British suffered heavy casualties, but held the heights of Charlestown
. He was promoted to first lieutenant
the following week.
By November 1776, he was stationed at Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, where he met and then married Mary (Maria Stuart) Proctor, the daughter of Captain Charles Proctor, on 13 June 1777.
by July 1780. In February 1781, he joined the HMS Courageux in the Channel Squadron, but did not enjoy being at sea. After three years on half-pay stationed at Chatham
, he sailed on the First Fleet
and on 20 January 1788, he became one of the founders of the penal colony
of New South Wales
at Port Jackson
, now Sydney
, as the new colony's first judge advocate. Collins was responsible, under the governor, for the colony's entire legal establishment. He issued all writs, summonses and processes, retained certain fees, and with one other justice of the peace formed the bench of magistrates.
In approximately June ~ July 1788, Governor Phillip appointed Collins as the Secretary to the Governor, or Secretary to the Colony as the position was sometimes called. For the next eight years, quietly and efficiently, he was the indispensable aide to the officer administering the Government of New South Wales.
at Sullivan Bay, Victoria
on Port Phillip
in 1803. He sailed from England in April aboard HMS Calcutta
, arriving at Port Phillip in October. After landing at Sullivan Bay near present-day Sorrento
, he sent First Lieutenant James Hingston Tuckey of the Calcutta to explore Port Phillip
. Tuckey's report and his own dissatisfaction with the site chosen prompted him to write to Governor King
seeking permission to remove the settlement. When King agreed, Collins decided to move to the Derwent River
. He arrived there in February 1804 on the Ocean
and established the future town of Hobart
.
Collins left no published account of his work as Lieutenant-Governor at Port Phillip
nor later as the founder of Hobart.
in Tasmania, Collins Street
, Melbourne and Collins Street, Hobart, Tasmania
.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
David Collins (3 March 1754 – 24 March 1810) was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
in the Commonwealth of Australia.
Early life and military career
Collins was born in London, the third child of Henrietta Fraser and Royal MarinesRoyal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
officer Arthur Tooker Collins. His paternal grandfather was the historian Arthur Collins
Arthur Collins (antiquarian)
Arthur Collins was an English antiquarian, genealogist, and historian. He is most known for his work Peerage of England.-Personal life:...
. David went to Exeter Grammar School before joining the Royal Marines as an Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
at the age of 14. He was promoted second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 20 February 1771. He was serving aboard HMS Southampton when Queen Matilda of Denmark was dramatically rescued.
Collins went to North America early in 1775, and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, where the British suffered heavy casualties, but held the heights of Charlestown
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
. He was promoted to first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
the following week.
By November 1776, he was stationed at Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, where he met and then married Mary (Maria Stuart) Proctor, the daughter of Captain Charles Proctor, on 13 June 1777.
New South Wales
He was promoted captain-lieutenant in August 1779, and outright captainCaptain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
by July 1780. In February 1781, he joined the HMS Courageux in the Channel Squadron, but did not enjoy being at sea. After three years on half-pay stationed at Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
, he sailed on the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
and on 20 January 1788, he became one of the founders of the 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...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
at Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
, now Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, as the new colony's first judge advocate. Collins was responsible, under the governor, for the colony's entire legal establishment. He issued all writs, summonses and processes, retained certain fees, and with one other justice of the peace formed the bench of magistrates.
In approximately June ~ July 1788, Governor Phillip appointed Collins as the Secretary to the Governor, or Secretary to the Colony as the position was sometimes called. For the next eight years, quietly and efficiently, he was the indispensable aide to the officer administering the Government of New South Wales.
Victoria and Tasmania
Collins also established the first, short-lived settlement in what later became the Colony of VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
at Sullivan Bay, Victoria
Sullivan Bay, Victoria
Sullivan Bay lies 60 km due south of Melbourne on Port Phillip, one kilometre east of Sorrento, Victoria. It was established as a short-lived convict settlement in 1803 by Lieutenant Colonel David Collins. The site was chosen because of its strategic location near the entrance of the Bay...
on Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
in 1803. He sailed from England in April aboard HMS Calcutta
HMS Calcutta (1795)
HMS Calcutta was an East Indiaman converted to a Royal Navy 56-gun fourth rate. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia in a voyage that became a circumnavigation of the world. The French 74-gun Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805...
, arriving at Port Phillip in October. After landing at Sullivan Bay near present-day Sorrento
Sorrento, Victoria
Sorrento is a township in Victoria, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, about one and a half hours south of Melbourne...
, he sent First Lieutenant James Hingston Tuckey of the Calcutta to explore Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
. Tuckey's report and his own dissatisfaction with the site chosen prompted him to write to Governor King
Governor King
Governor King may refer to:* Governor King , an Australian schooner wrecked at Newcastle in New South Wales.* Philip Gidley King, the third governor of the Australian state of New South Wales....
seeking permission to remove the settlement. When King agreed, Collins decided to move to the Derwent River
Derwent River (Tasmania)
The Derwent is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent, Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes who explored it in 1793. The name is Brythonic Celtic for "valley thick with oaks"....
. He arrived there in February 1804 on the Ocean
Ocean (convict transport ship)
Ocean was an English transport ship and whaler. In 1803 she accompanied HMS Calcutta to Port Phillip , the vessels supporting the establishment of a settlement under the leadership of Lt Col David Collins. Calcutta transported convicts, with Ocean serving to transport supplies...
and established the future town of Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
.
Collins left no published account of his work as Lieutenant-Governor at Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
nor later as the founder of Hobart.
Legacy
Collins has given his name to CollinsvaleCollinsvale, Tasmania
Collinsvale is a suburb of the City of Glenorchy, part of the greater Hobart area in Tasmania, Australia.The area was originally known called Sorell Creek, and was inhabited mostly by British settlers in the mid-nineteenth century...
in Tasmania, Collins Street
Collins Street, Melbourne
Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The...
, Melbourne and Collins Street, Hobart, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
Further reading
- Robson, L. L. (1983). A History of Tasmania. Volume I. Van Diemen's Land From the Earliest Times to 1855. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-554364-5.