Governor Hobson
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Captain William Hobson RN |
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|---|---|
 |
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| 1st Governor of New Zealand | |
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In office 3 May 1841 – 10 September 1842 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Captain Robert FitzRoy |
| Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand | |
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In office 14 January 1840 – 3 May 1841 |
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| Governor | George Gipps (Governor of New South Wales) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
26 September 1792 Waterford, Munster, Ireland |
| Died | 10 September 1842 (aged 49) Auckland, New Ulster, New Zealand |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Eliza Elliott |
| Children | 5 |
Captain William Hobson RN (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was the first Governor of New Zealand.
Hobson was dispatched from London in August 1839 with instructions to take the constitutional steps needed to establish a British colony in New Zealand; he was instructed to negotiate a voluntary transfer of sovereignty from Māori to the British Crown. He was sworn in as Lieutenant-Governor in Sydney and arrived in New Zealand on 29 January 1840. Hobson was one of the co-authors of the Treaty of Waitangi. In May 1840, Hobson proclaimed sovereignty over the whole country, and New Zealand was constituted as a colony on November 16, 1840.
Promoted to the position of Governor on 3 May 1841, Hobson died 16 months later from a longterm illness.
William Hobson was born in Waterford, Ireland, the son of Samuel Hobson, a barrister. Some sources put his year of birth in 1793.
He joined the Royal Navy on 25 August 1803 as a second-class volunteer. He served in the Napoleonic wars and was later involved in the suppression of piracy in the Caribbean. He became a midshipman in 1806 and some seven years later was a first lieutenant. He was promoted to commander in May 1824 and commanded HMS Scylla between 1826 and 1828. In December 1834, he obtained a commission from Lord Auckland to the East Indies on HMS Rattlesnake.
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Wikipedia