Patrick Lindesay

Sir Patrick Lindesay, KCB, KCH (24 February 1778 – 14 March 1839) was a military officer during the Napoleonic Wars and Peninsular War but is most noted as having served as Acting Governor of New South Wales, Australia in 1831. Mount Lindesay (Queensland), Mount Lindesay (New South Wales) and Lindesay River in Australia are all named after him.

He was born in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, the son of Lt. Col. John Lindesay.

He was educated at Edinburgh University and in 1793 joined the army as an Ensign. He was thereafter gazetted as a lieutenant in the famed 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot. He was promoted to Captain in September 1795. He moved to the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot in October 1796 and was there promoted to Major in 1807. He then saw considerable action in Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War.

In 1811 he saw his most major action, and received a medal for his actions in the Battle of Albuera.

In 1814, his obituary states, he had a “final brush” with the Americans in the final battles between these countries.

From 1824 to 1826 he served in the First Anglo-Burmese War, commanding a division of the Expeditionary Army.

In November 1827, aged 49, he arrived in Sydney, Australia to succeed Col. William Stewart in the command of the garrison at Port Jackson. He became a member of the Legislative Council for the colony and when the post of lieutenant-governor was abolished he took over the required duties of the post. From April 1829 he was a member of the Executive Council. After the controversial departure of the governor Sir Ralph Darling on 22 October 1831, Lindesay played the role of Acting Governor until the appointment of Sir Richard Bourke as governor on 2 December 1831.

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