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William Hobson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Governor of New Zealand | |
| In office 3 May 1841 – 10 September 1842 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Robert FitzRoy |
| Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand | |
| In office 30 July 1839 – 3 May 1841 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governor | George Gipps (Governor of New South Wales) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 September 1792 Waterford, Kingdom of Ireland |
| Died | 10 September 1842 (aged 49) Auckland, Colony of New Zealand |
| Resting place | Symonds Street Cemetery |
| Spouse | Eliza Elliott |
| Children | 5 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1803–1842 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands | |
Captain William Hobson (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Royal Navy, who served as the first Governor of New Zealand.[1] He was a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.[2]
Hobson was dispatched from London in July 1839, with instructions to take the constitutional steps needed to establish a British colony in New Zealand.[3] He was sworn in as Lieutenant-Governor in Sydney (under George Gipps) and arrived in New Zealand on 29 January 1840.
On 5 February 1840, Hobson met with Māori chiefs at Waitangi, and the following morning they signed a treaty by which the chiefs purportedly voluntarily transferred sovereignty to the British Crown in return for guarantees respecting their lands and possessions and their rights as British subjects. Three months later, Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty over the islands of New Zealand. He also selected the site for a new capital, which he named Auckland.
In May 1841, New Zealand was constituted as a separate Crown colony, with Hobson promoted to Governor and Commander in Chief. In his final months Hobson was dogged by poor health which left him detached from political affairs. He died in office in September 1842.
- ^ Serle, Percival (1949). "Hobson, William". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ "HOBSON, William (1793–1842) – An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand". Te Ara: The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. 1966. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ "Hobson's Appointment 1839 [1839] NZConLRes 1". New Zealand Legal Information Institute. 30 July 1839. Retrieved 6 April 2019.