Frederick Barlee
Encyclopedia
Sir Frederick Palgrave Barlee KCMG
(6 February 1827 – 8 August 1884) was Colonial Secretary
of Western Australia
from 1855 to 1875; Lieutenant-Governor of the British Honduras
(now Belize
) from 1877 to 1882; and Administrator of Trinidad
in 1884.
Frederick Barlee was born in Worlingworth
, Suffolk
, England
on 6 February 1827. He was educated privately and at local schools, and in 1845 he entered the public service as a clerk to the Ordnance Department in Chatham and Woolwich
. In 1851, Barlee married Jane Oseland. Later that year he was posted to Sierra Leone
, where he served initially as a barrack-master and storekeeper. In 1853 he became clerk to the Executive and Legislative Councils, and private secretary to the Governor of Sierra Leone Arthur Edward Kennedy
.
In 1855, Kennedy was appointed Governor of Western Australia
, and he arranged for Barlee to be appointed Colonial Secretary
. Both men arrived in Western Australia
in June 1855, and commenced work the following month. As colonial secretary, Barlee became a nominated member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
. Kennedy immediately embarked on a range of reforms, with Barlee largely responsible for their implementation. Kennedy's reforms were unpopular, and Barlee made numerous enemies during this time. However by 1856 Barlee and Kennedy had fallen out; after this, Barlee often opposed Kennedy on important issues, and his influence declined.
In 1862, Governor Kennedy was succeeded by Governor John Hampton
, and Barlee returned to a position of influence. In 1863, he became permanent chairman of the Board of Education. The following year he gave Bishop Matthew Hale
financial help in establishing the Bishop's Collegiate School (now Hale School
), and was appointed first Governor of the school. That year, he also invested in the unsuccessful attempt to establish a pastoral
settlement
at Roebuck Bay
. Eventually, Barlee again fell out of favour with the governor, this time through disagreements over the treatment of convicts, and the management of the convict system in general.
Governor Kennedy was replaced by Frederick Weld
in 1869, and Barlee again became an influential figure. Weld and Barlee shared an enthusiasm for representative government, and together they worked to promote it. Largely due to their efforts, Western Australia obtained representative government in May 1870. Under the new system of government, Barlee became the most powerful person in the colony other than Weld himself.
In 1873, Barlee began to work for early achievement of responsible government
. Both directly and through a newspaper that he had recently bought a stake in, Barlee agitated for responsible government, and in 1874 the Legislative Council passed a resolution calling for the constitutional change. Although Weld did not think that Western Australia was yet ready for responsible government, he accepted the situation and passed on the request to the Colonial Office
in London. The Colonial Office were strongly against granting responsible government, and were critical of Weld for allowing the situation to arise. Shortly afterwards, Weld was transferred to Tasmania
. Barlee, perhaps anticipating a transfer, took long service leave and left for England in July 1875. In his absence, the demand for responsible government receded, and it would not be granted until 1890.
Barlee remained nominal colonial secretary for another eighteen months, and intended to return to the position unless he was offered a better appointment elsewhere. In 1877, he was made CMG
. Also in 1877, he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras
(now Belize
), a position that he held until 1882. After briefly visiting Western Australia to attend to some investments, he returned to England to await his next posting. He was made KCMG
in 1883, but had to wait until April 1884 for his next posting, as Administrator of Trinidad
. Barlee arrived at Port of Spain
, Trinidad and took up his appointment in June 1884, but died from asthma
just seven weeks later on 8 August 1884.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(6 February 1827 – 8 August 1884) was Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary of Western Australia
The Colonial Secretary of Western Australia was one of the most important and powerful public offices in Western Australia, in the time when Western Australia was a British colony. The Colonial Secretary was the representative of the British Colonial Office in Western Australia, and was usually...
of Western Australia
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...
from 1855 to 1875; Lieutenant-Governor of the British Honduras
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
(now Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
) from 1877 to 1882; and Administrator of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
in 1884.
Frederick Barlee was born in Worlingworth
Worlingworth
Worlingworth is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around ten miles south-east of Diss, in 2005 its population was 750....
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 6 February 1827. He was educated privately and at local schools, and in 1845 he entered the public service as a clerk to the Ordnance Department in Chatham and Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
. In 1851, Barlee married Jane Oseland. Later that year he was posted to Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, where he served initially as a barrack-master and storekeeper. In 1853 he became clerk to the Executive and Legislative Councils, and private secretary to the Governor of Sierra Leone Arthur Edward Kennedy
Arthur Edward Kennedy
Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of a number of British colonies, namely Sierra Leone, Western Australia, Vancouver Island, Hong Kong and Queensland....
.
In 1855, Kennedy was appointed Governor of Western Australia
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;...
, and he arranged for Barlee to be appointed Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary of Western Australia
The Colonial Secretary of Western Australia was one of the most important and powerful public offices in Western Australia, in the time when Western Australia was a British colony. The Colonial Secretary was the representative of the British Colonial Office in Western Australia, and was usually...
. Both men arrived in Western Australia
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...
in June 1855, and commenced work the following month. As colonial secretary, Barlee became a nominated member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
. Kennedy immediately embarked on a range of reforms, with Barlee largely responsible for their implementation. Kennedy's reforms were unpopular, and Barlee made numerous enemies during this time. However by 1856 Barlee and Kennedy had fallen out; after this, Barlee often opposed Kennedy on important issues, and his influence declined.
In 1862, Governor Kennedy was succeeded by Governor 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...
, and Barlee returned to a position of influence. In 1863, he became permanent chairman of the Board of Education. The following year he gave Bishop Matthew Hale
Matthew Blagden Hale
Matthew Blagden Hale was the first Bishop of Perth and then the Bishop of Brisbane.Born in Alderley, Gloucestershire, England, Matthew Hale was the son of Robert and Lady Theodosia . His maternal grandfather was The Earl of Mayo, Lord Archbishop of Tuam...
financial help in establishing the Bishop's Collegiate School (now Hale School
Hale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
), and was appointed first Governor of the school. That year, he also invested in the unsuccessful attempt to establish a pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
settlement
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
at Roebuck Bay
Roebuck Bay
Roebuck Bay is a bay on the coast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Its entrance is bounded in the north by the town of Broome, and in the south by Bush Point and Sandy Point. It is named after HMS Roebuck, the ship captained by William Dampier when he explored the coast of...
. Eventually, Barlee again fell out of favour with the governor, this time through disagreements over the treatment of convicts, and the management of the convict system in general.
Governor Kennedy was replaced by Frederick Weld
Frederick Weld
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...
in 1869, and Barlee again became an influential figure. Weld and Barlee shared an enthusiasm for representative government, and together they worked to promote it. Largely due to their efforts, Western Australia obtained representative government in May 1870. Under the new system of government, Barlee became the most powerful person in the colony other than Weld himself.
In 1873, Barlee began to work for early achievement of responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
. Both directly and through a newspaper that he had recently bought a stake in, Barlee agitated for responsible government, and in 1874 the Legislative Council passed a resolution calling for the constitutional change. Although Weld did not think that Western Australia was yet ready for responsible government, he accepted the situation and passed on the request to the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
in London. The Colonial Office were strongly against granting responsible government, and were critical of Weld for allowing the situation to arise. Shortly afterwards, Weld was transferred to 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...
. Barlee, perhaps anticipating a transfer, took long service leave and left for England in July 1875. In his absence, the demand for responsible government receded, and it would not be granted until 1890.
Barlee remained nominal colonial secretary for another eighteen months, and intended to return to the position unless he was offered a better appointment elsewhere. In 1877, he was made CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
. Also in 1877, he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
(now Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
), a position that he held until 1882. After briefly visiting Western Australia to attend to some investments, he returned to England to await his next posting. He was made KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1883, but had to wait until April 1884 for his next posting, as Administrator of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. Barlee arrived at Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Trinidad and took up his appointment in June 1884, but died from asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
just seven weeks later on 8 August 1884.