Shirley Waldemar Baker
Encyclopedia
Shirley Waldemar Baker was a missionary and premier of Tonga
.
, England
of a Devon
shire family. He studied medicine
, went to Australia
in 1852 as a stowaway. He worked as a farm hand, miner and apothecary's assistant on the goldfields in Victoria
. Baker decided to become a missionary
and in 1860 was ordained and sent to Tonga by the Australian Wesleyan conference.
. A disagreement arose with the Wesleyan authorities at Sydney
in 1879, and Baker founded an independent body under the title of the "Free Church of Tonga". Some of the natives, however, were loyal to their original church and much strong feeling was aroused, which resulted with an attempt to shoot Baker in 1887. He escaped unhurt but his son and daughter were both wounded. Six Tongans were executed for this crime, and many were deported to other islands. In 1888 the Rev. George Brown
visited Tonga to inquire into the position and to endeavour to heal the breach between the two churches. He did not succeed and his reports show that Baker was using his power to the disadvantage of those who were not adherents of the Free Church. In 1890 Sir John Bates Thurston
visited Tonga and deported Baker at short notice to Auckland
for being 'prejudicial to the peace and good order of the Western Pacific'.
on Lifuka
, Haʻapai
.
Baker's side of the case may be found in Mennell's Dictionary of Australasian Biography, published in 1892. An opposing view is in Basil Thomson
's The Diversions of a Prime Minister, pp. 3 to 25. R. L. Stevenson who called Baker "the defamed and much accused man of Tonga" found him "highly interesting to speak to" (Vailima Letters, p. 41).
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
.
Early life
Baker was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
of a Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
shire family. He studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, went to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1852 as a stowaway. He worked as a farm hand, miner and apothecary's assistant on the goldfields in Victoria
Victoria (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....
. Baker decided to become a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and in 1860 was ordained and sent to Tonga by the Australian Wesleyan conference.
Tonga
Baker became head of the mission, and was involved in the councils of King George Tupou I, who made him his prime ministerPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. A disagreement arose with the Wesleyan authorities at 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...
in 1879, and Baker founded an independent body under the title of the "Free Church of Tonga". Some of the natives, however, were loyal to their original church and much strong feeling was aroused, which resulted with an attempt to shoot Baker in 1887. He escaped unhurt but his son and daughter were both wounded. Six Tongans were executed for this crime, and many were deported to other islands. In 1888 the Rev. George Brown
George Brown (missionary)
George Brown was an English Methodist missionary and ethnographer.- Early life and education :George Brown was born at Barnard Castle, Durham, England, the son of George Brown, barrister, and his wife Elizabeth, née Dixon, sister of the wife of Rev. Thomas Buddle, missionary in New Zealand...
visited Tonga to inquire into the position and to endeavour to heal the breach between the two churches. He did not succeed and his reports show that Baker was using his power to the disadvantage of those who were not adherents of the Free Church. In 1890 Sir John Bates Thurston
John Bates Thurston
Sir John Bates Thurston was a British colonial official who served Fiji in a variety of capacities, including Premier of the Kingdom of Viti and later as colonial Governor.- Early life :...
visited Tonga and deported Baker at short notice to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
for being 'prejudicial to the peace and good order of the Western Pacific'.
Late life
Baker lived in Auckland for some years but suffered financial losses in the 1890s slump. Baker paid a short visit to Tonga in 1897, settled there again in 1900, and died there on 16 November 1903. His grave and monument still stand as a touristical attraction in PangaiPangai
Pangai is the administrative capital village of the Haapai Group in Tonga.-The Town:The village is on the western shore of Lifuka and has about 2,000 inhabitants ....
on Lifuka
Lifuka
Lifuka is an island in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located within the Haapai Group in the centre of the country, to northeast of the national capital of Nukualofa...
, Haʻapai
Ha'apai
Haapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the central part of the Kingdom of Tonga, with the Tongatapu group to the south and the Vavau group to the north. Seventeen of the Haapai islands are populated....
.
Baker's side of the case may be found in Mennell's Dictionary of Australasian Biography, published in 1892. An opposing view is in Basil Thomson
Basil Thomson
Sir Basil Home Thomson, KCB was a British intelligence officer, police officer, prison governor, colonial administrator, and writer.-Early life:...
's The Diversions of a Prime Minister, pp. 3 to 25. R. L. Stevenson who called Baker "the defamed and much accused man of Tonga" found him "highly interesting to speak to" (Vailima Letters, p. 41).
See also
- William MarinerWilliam Mariner (writer)William Mariner was an Englishman who lived in the Tonga Islands from 29 November 1806 to 8 November 1810. He wrote an account of his experiences, Tonga Islands, that is now one of the major sources of information on pre-Christian Tonga.-Mariner's sojourn in Tonga:William Mariner was a teenage...
accounts of pre-Christian Tonga. - Rev Sioeli NauSioeli Nau (Wesleyan Missionary)Sioeli Nau or Joel Nau , He was the son of Luisa Lauaki and Filipe 'Onevela. His also the grandson of Matapule Lauaki the Nima Tapu.-Origin of his name:...
a Methodist Minister - Rev Dr James Egan MoultonJames Egan MoultonJames Egan Moulton was an English born Australian Methodist minister and headmaster and school president.-Early life:...
- King George Tupou I