EDWARD JOHN EYRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2233, 17 December 1896, Page 6

EDWARD JOHN EYRE.

fDWARD JOHN EYRE, LieutenantGovernor of New Munster, the son of the Rev. Anthony Eyre, rector _ of Hornsea-cum-Riston in the East Riding of Yorkshire, was born in August, 1815. His chest being somewhat delicate, he sailed for Sydney when a youth of seventeen. He was one of the first " overlanders » to drive sheep from New South Wales to the new settlement of Port Phillip and South Australia. During many eventful journeys of this character he established a friendly feeling with the aborigines through whom he passed, and became their warm protector.

His success as a traveller marked him out as specially suited forjmaking those explorations into the interior with a view to openingfup country and establishing communication between Southern andJJWestern Australia. The question of opening up fresh country and of establishing communication between South and Western Australia was much discussed at Adelaide in 1839. Mr Eyre's offer to conduct such explorations was accepted by the Government. He started in June, 1840, and was absent for more than a year, having successfully accomplished his arduous task. In

1845 he returned to England and published in two volumes, octavo, his interesting " Explorations," which brought him under the notice of the Government. Earl Grey now offered him the LieutenantGovernorship of one of the New Zealand provinces under Governor Grey, and this he accepted. He arrived at Auckland on July 10, 1847, whence he proceeded to Wellington to undertake his new duties as Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of New Munster, which included the whole of the Middle Island, and as much of the North Island as lay due south of a straight line extending from the mouth of the Patea River to the east. The duties of the new office were little more than perfunctory and nominal, as virtually the Governor-in-Chief held the supreme command, which he exercised with little reference to his two subordinates. With the advent of the new constitution in 1853 Mr Eyre returned to England and was appointed Governor consecutively of St. Vincent, and of the Leeward Islands. But it is in connection with the insurrection at Jamaica that his name will be inseparably connected. He was appointed Governor of the island in 1864. The following year the emancipated negroes broke out in rebellion, having been incited thereto by demagogues and designing persons who persuaded them that they were overtaxed and oppressed, and that the trade was diverted from the island. In the opinion of those best able to judge, Governor Eyre's prompt, determined, if most severe, measures saved the whole white population from massacre. Yet his conduct was by many bitterly criticised, and he was recalled to England, where he had to run the gauntlet of prolonged legal proceedings. He was acquitted with unsullied reputation and character, but with his valuable public career broken. He withdrew from the public service, and has since resided in retirement at Steeple Aston, in Oxfordshire. In 1850, whilst in New Zealand, he married a daughter of Captain Ormond, R.N., members of whose family are well known in the colony.