Blue Book, Colony of Victoria, 1853 – Gold Commissioners


Contents:		Bluebook People Organisations Places Roles Research Notes Reference

Port Phillip District (1836-1851) Colony of Victoria (1851-1900) Victoria (1901-1929)

Years:		1851	1852	1853	1854	1855	1856	1857	1858	1859	1860	1861	1862	1863	1864	1865	1866	1867	1868	1869	1870	1871	1872	1873	1874	1875	1876	1877	1878	1879	1880
		1881	1882	1883	1884	1885	1886	1887	1888	1889	1890	1891	1892	1893	1894	1895	1896	1897	1898	1899	1900

Bodies:

Prior

Courts of Petty Sessions Gold Commission Crown Lands

Roles:

Prior

Gold Wardens

Roles:	The column headed R [Role] is the assigned role.
	The columns headed PM [Police Magistrate], GF [Gold Commissioner (1851-1855) or Warden of the Gold Fields (1855-1907)], CL [Commissioner of Crown Lands], and CP [Chinese Protector] show the Golden Colony roles that each person held at the same time. They do not include other roles, which may be indicated in the Comments column or on the person's profile page.
	= Government Office (Paid), = Government Duties (Unpaid), = On leave, = To be determined.

Abbreviations:	BB = Blue Book, CL = Commissioner of Crown Lands, CP = Chinese Protector, CPS = Clerk of Petty Sessions, GC = Gold Commissioner, GR = Gold Receiver,
	GW = Warden of the Gold Fields, JP = Justice of the Peace (Magistrate), PM = Police Magistrate,
	FN = Footnotes, PSL = Public Service List S/S1/S2 = Source, TBC/TBD = To be confirmed/determined.

Appointments:	= Appointed, = Reappointed (under new legislation), = Promoted, = Demoted, = Redesignated, = Transferred, = Replaced/Succeeded,
	= Position made permanent, = Paid as (role).

Assignments:	The location or district the person was assigned to. A number is the OP column (Other Places) means that they also sat at that many other locations of Courts of Petty Sessions. The number of other locations changed from time to time as courts were created, abolished, or reassigned.

Sources (S1, S2):	= Blue Book, = Blue Book derived, = Government Gazette, = Government Gazette derived, = Public Service List, = Public Service List derived,
	= Report, = Birth/Baptism/Marriage/Death document, = Birth/Baptism/Marriage/Death extract, = Cemetery, = Census, = Legal,
	= Newspaper family notice, = Newspaper article, = Book/Magazine, = Other, = Unconfirmed, = Military service record, = Internet.

Dates:	Dates are in YYYY-MM-DD format, "Ongoing" = Continues into next calendar year, New date, Date changed in source, Date died, Date to be confirmed.
	"Original" is the date the person commenced the role. For example, when first appointed a Police Magistrate, regardless of later re-appointments and re-assignments.

Other Symbols:	= External link.

Unconfirmed:	All text in magenta is unconfirmed information.

Search/Filter:	The Search box can also be used as a filter.
	Select from the drop-down boxes. The selection(s) will display below the box. Selections can be added to. Click on the selection(s) to clear them.

Click here to show explanations

Click here to hide explanations

Comments

The department was greatly expanded from the beginning of 1853. The role of Assistant Commissioner was split into two grades: Senior and Junior. Some of the existing Assistant Commissioners were designated Senior at the start of the year and a number were promoted to Senior during the year. Some of those redesignated Junior resigned soon after.

Gold Commissioners (Commissioners of Crown Lands for the Gold Fields)

BB	Name	Title	S	Gazette	From	To	Assignment	Comments	Next	FN
V1853	Amos, Gilbert Andrew	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-05-17	1853-12-31
V1853	Anderson, William Acland Douglass	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R	1853-07-12	1853-07-15	1853-12-31			Assistant Chief GC.
V1853	Barnard, Edward Thomas	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-04-26	1853-12-31
V1853	Barry, St Leger	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R	1853-07-12	1853-08-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Blake, Richard Everard	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-18	1853-04-04			Died.
V1853	Brackenbury, Walter Charles	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-03-31			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Brackenbury, Walter Charles	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-04-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Bull, John Edward Newell	Resident Commissioner	R		1852-10-09	Ongoing	Sandhurst
V1853	Bury, Frederick John	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R	1853-02-07	1853-02-09	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Bury, Frederick John	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Campbell, Archibald	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-04-19	1853-04-30			PM.
V1853	Clow, James Maxwell	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-06-30			Resident GC.
V1853	Clow, James Maxwell	Resident Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	Ongoing	Ballarat
V1853	Cockburn, Owsley Rowley	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Crespigny, Philip Robert Champion	Assistant Commissioner	R	1852-11-18	1852-11-22	1852-12-31				[01]
V1853	Crespigny, Philip Robert Champion	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-03-31			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Crespigny, Philip Robert Champion	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-04-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Cruickshank, Charles Edward	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-05-07			Resigned.
V1853	Daly, James	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-11-01	1853-12-31
V1853	De Salis, John Henry	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-12-05	1853-12-31			Acting.
V1853	Doveton, Francis Crossman	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Dowling, Charles Cholmeley	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-05-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Fenwick, William	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Foster, Henry	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-03-16			Police Inspector.
V1853	Gilbert, George Alexander	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-04-15			Resigned.
V1853	Green, John	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Green, John	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31			GR.
V1853	Hall, Charles Browning	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Harriott, George	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-02-19	1853-05-09			PM.
V1853	Heron, Thomas Denis Stratford	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Heron, Thomas Denis Stratford	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Horne, Richard Henry "Hengist"	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-06-07	1853-12-31
V1853	Jacomb Hood, John Kemp	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Jacomb Hood, John Kemp	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Johnston, James	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-11-24	1853-12-31		Urquhart.
V1853	Jones, Francis	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Le Couteur, Edward Dickson	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-04-22	1853-10-26			Resigned.
V1853	Lowther, Gorges Macdonald	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R	1853-03-05	1853-03-03	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Lowther, Gorges Macdonald	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Mackenzie, Robert Cleghorne	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-05-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Meyer, Edwin	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-02			Resigned.
V1853	Middleton, Herbert Taylor	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-05-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Mollison, Crawford	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-06-07	1853-12-31
V1853	Morphy, John Stephen	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Morphy, John Stephen	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Mostyn, Henry "Harry" Porter	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-01-17			Police Inspector.
V1853	Murray, Virginius	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-13	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Murray, Virginius	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Muspratt, Thomas	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-06-07	1853-12-31			GR.
V1853	Naylor, Thomas Beagley	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-10-07	1853-12-31		George Webster.
V1853	Naylor, Thomas Beagley	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-10-07	1853-12-31			GR.
V1853	Panton, Joseph Anderson	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31			Resident GC.
V1853	Price, Henry	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-11-11	1853-12-31		Le Couteur.
V1853	Price, Henry	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-11-11	1853-12-31			PM.
V1853	Puckle, Frederick Hale	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Puckle, Frederick Hale	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Rede, Robert William	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Reynell, Alfred	Assistant Commissioner	R	1852-06-01	1852-06-01	Ongoing		by South Australia.
V1853	Rudston Read, Charles	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-01-28			Resigned.
V1853	Sherard, Charles Wale	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-03-31			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Sherard, Charles Wale	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-04-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Shuter, Charles	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-13	1853-12-31
V1853	Smith, Alexander John	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R	1853-03-05	1853-01-01	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Smith, Alexander John	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Smythe, Henry Wilson Hutchinson	Resident Commissioner	R		1852-01-01	1853-02-28	Beechworth			[02]
V1853	Smythe, Henry Wilson Hutchinson	Resident Commissioner	R		1853-03-01	1853-05-15	Beechworth	On leave (12 months).	Died before leaving for England.	[03]
V1853	Symonds, Edward Stace	Senior Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-12-31			Acting as Accountant.
V1853	Templeton, William	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-18	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Templeton, William	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Thomson, John Campbell	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-02-28			PM.
V1853	Turner, William	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-02-23			Resident GC.
V1853	Turner, William	Resident Commissioner	R		1853-02-24	Ongoing	Beechworth	H W H Smythe.
V1853	Urquhart, John	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-05-01	1853-11				[04]
V1853	Webster, George	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R	1853-03-05	1853-05-01	1853-10-07			Assistant Civil Commissary.
V1853	Wilberforce, William	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R	1853-07-12	1853-08-11	1853-10-25			Resigned.
V1853	Wilkinson, John	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-02-15	1853-06-30			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Wilkinson, John	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-07-01	1853-12-31			GR.
V1853	Willoby, William Allan	Junior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-01-01	1853-03-31			Senior Assistant GC.
V1853	Willoby, William Allan	Senior Assistant Commissioner	R		1853-04-01	1853-12-31
V1853	Wright, William Henry	Chief Commissioner	R		1852-05-01	Ongoing

References

Notes[+]

Notes
01⇑	Gazette notice published 1853-10-05
02⇑	Appointment date now 1852-11-01.
03⇑	According to BB1853, Smythe had begun a leave of absence as GC and CCL at the beginning of March to return to England, but was appointed PM of Benalla for the month of March at full pay. He died on 15 May before leaving the colony.
04⇑	Apparently resigned. Replaced by Johnston in November 1853.

Sources

	Registrar-General's Office, Victoria; Statistics of the Colony of Victoria for the Year 1853; Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne, 1854 (Public Record Office Victoria VPRS 943, P0000-0003) [BB1853].
	Various issues of the Victoria Government Gazette, 1853.

Updates

2024-10-13	Page formatting revised.
2022-03-30	Page and content created.