Ralph Darling
Encyclopedia
General Sir Ralph Darling, GCH
(1772 – 2 April 1858) was a British
colonial Governor and Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831.
as an ensign
in 1793 in the 45th Regiment of Foot, and in August 1796 was appointed military secretary to Sir Ralph Abercromby
. Having commanded a regiment at the Battle of Corunna
, Darling subsequently was promoted to brevet-colonel in 1810, major-general in 1813, deputy adjutant general in 1814 and was on the Royal Horse Guards
staff in 1815.
From February 1819 to February 1824, Darling commanded the British troops on Mauritius
, before serving as acting-governor of the island for the last three years of his stay, exhibiting administrative ability. It was largely on account of this service that Darling was appointed the seventh Governor of New South Wales in 1824. Nevertheless, Darling was very unpopular in Mauritius, particularly for allowing a British frigate to breach quarantine and start an epidemic of cholera. He then suspended the island’s Conseil de Commune when it protested his actions.
, linking the Hawkesbury
settlements around Sydney
with those in the Hunter Valley
.
When Darling was commissioned as Governor, the Colony’s western boundary – set in 1788 at 135 degrees east longitude
– was extended by 6 degrees west to the 129th meridian
. This line of longitude subsequently became the border dividing Western Australia
and South Australia
. To the south, everything beyond Wilsons Promontory
, the southeastern ‘corner’ of the Australian continent, ceased to be under the control of New South Wales
and was placed under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land. Proclaimed Van Diemen's Land
as a separate government.
and Robert Wardell
). Allegations included that he ordered the torture of prisoners Joseph Sudds and Patrick Thompson as an example to others, leading to the death of Sudds.
He is said to have "ruthlessly and implacably countered all attempts to establish a theatre in Sydney". He even introduced a law effectively banning the performance of drama. The law stated that no form of public entertainment could take place without approval from the Colonial Secretary, and Darling ensured that all such applications were rejected. He did permit concerts of music to take place.
His departure for England was greeted by public rejoicing.
on 2 April 1858, survived by his widow, three sons and several daughters.
10 November 1798, died 3 September 1868). He was older brother of Major-General Henry Darling
, father of His Excellency Sir Charles Henry Darling
, KCB.
Strictly speaking, Darling Point and Darlinghurst were named in honour of Darling's wife Henrietta.
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(1772 – 2 April 1858) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial Governor and Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831.
Early career
Darling entered the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in 1793 in the 45th Regiment of Foot, and in August 1796 was appointed military secretary to Sir Ralph Abercromby
Ralph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
. Having commanded a regiment at the Battle of Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
, Darling subsequently was promoted to brevet-colonel in 1810, major-general in 1813, deputy adjutant general in 1814 and was on the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
staff in 1815.
From February 1819 to February 1824, Darling commanded the British troops on Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, before serving as acting-governor of the island for the last three years of his stay, exhibiting administrative ability. It was largely on account of this service that Darling was appointed the seventh Governor of New South Wales in 1824. Nevertheless, Darling was very unpopular in Mauritius, particularly for allowing a British frigate to breach quarantine and start an epidemic of cholera. He then suspended the island’s Conseil de Commune when it protested his actions.
Governor of New South Wales
Darling initiated the construction, from 1826, of the convict-built Great North RoadGreat North Road (Australia)
The Great North Road is a historic road in Australia built by convicts between 1825 and 1836, being New South Wales's first road to traverse the rugged terrain hindering early agricultural expansion, effectively linking Sydney with the fertile Hunter Valley.The road is of such cultural...
, linking the Hawkesbury
City of Hawkesbury
The City of Hawkesbury is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia, part of which is at the fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area, about 50 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district...
settlements around 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...
with those in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
.
When Darling was commissioned as Governor, the Colony’s western boundary – set in 1788 at 135 degrees east longitude
135th meridian east
The meridian 135° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
– was extended by 6 degrees west to the 129th meridian
129th meridian east
The meridian 129° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
. This line of longitude subsequently became the border dividing 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...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. To the south, everything beyond Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland and is located at . South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia...
, the southeastern ‘corner’ of the Australian continent, ceased to be under the control 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...
and was placed under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land. Proclaimed 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...
as a separate government.
Controversies
During his tenure Darling was accused of tyrannical misrule by, amongst others, newspapers in England and Australia (including the Australian run by William WentworthWilliam Wentworth
William Charles Wentworth was an Australian poet, explorer, journalist and politician, and one of the leading figures of early colonial New South Wales...
and Robert Wardell
Robert Wardell
Robert Wardell was an English-born Australian barrister and newspaper editor.-Early life:Wardell was born in England and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he matriculated 1810, gained his LL.B. in 1817 and a LL.D. in 1823. Wardell was editor and proprietor of the Statesman, a London...
). Allegations included that he ordered the torture of prisoners Joseph Sudds and Patrick Thompson as an example to others, leading to the death of Sudds.
He is said to have "ruthlessly and implacably countered all attempts to establish a theatre in Sydney". He even introduced a law effectively banning the performance of drama. The law stated that no form of public entertainment could take place without approval from the Colonial Secretary, and Darling ensured that all such applications were rejected. He did permit concerts of music to take place.
His departure for England was greeted by public rejoicing.
Late life
Ralph Darling was knighted for his various services in 1835 and was promoted to general in 1841. He died in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
on 2 April 1858, survived by his widow, three sons and several daughters.
Family
On 13 October 1817, Darling married Elizabeth Dumaresq (born MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
10 November 1798, died 3 September 1868). He was older brother of Major-General Henry Darling
Henry Darling
Major-General Sir Henry Charles Darling KCB . Major General in the British Army. Lt Governor to Tobago ....
, father of His Excellency Sir Charles Henry Darling
Charles Henry Darling
Sir Charles Henry Darling KCB was a British colonial governor.He was born at Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, the son of Major-General Henry Darling and nephew of General Sir Ralph Darling....
, KCB.
Named after Ralph Darling
The following features are named after Ralph Darling or members of his immediate family:- Darling RiverDarling RiverThe Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
- Darling Harbour
- Darling Downs
- Darling ScarpDarling ScarpThe Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges - Darling StreetDarling StreetDarling Street, running along the ridge of the Balmain Peninsular in inner-west Sydney, Australia, from the East Balmain Ferry Wharf to Victoria Road, is the main thoroughfare and high street of the suburbs of Balmain and Rozelle, and a noted café and restaurant strip.Balmain Market is on the...
, the main thoroughfare of BalmainBalmain, New South WalesBalmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt.... - The SydneySydneySydney 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...
suburbs of DarlinghurstDarlinghurst, New South WalesDarlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...
and Darling PointDarling Point, New South WalesDarling Point is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darling Point is located 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council....
Strictly speaking, Darling Point and Darlinghurst were named in honour of Darling's wife Henrietta.
External links
- Darling's Commission as NSW Governor (document scans, discussion)
- Detailed discussion of the Sudds and Thompson case
- Family tree
Further reading
- Edward Duyker, ‘An Elegant Defence of a Colonial Governor’, Australian Rationalist Quarterly, No. 22, June 1985, p. 14.