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This article is about the colonial administrator. For the English footballer of the same name, see here.


Sir George Ferguson Bowen GCMG (2 November 1821 – 21 February 1899) was a Britishmarker colonial administrator whose appointments included postings to the Ionian Islandsmarker, Queensland marker, New Zealandmarker, Victoria marker, Mauritiusmarker and Hong Kongmarker.

Early life

George Bowen was born the eldest son of the Rev. Edward Bowen, in Taughboyne, County Donegalmarker, Irelandmarker. He was educated at Charterhouse Schoolmarker and Trinity College, Oxfordmarker, where two of his predecessors were also educated. Bowen, twice President of the Union, was awarded a first class Bachelor of Arts degree in classics in 1844, and was elected a fellow of Brasenose Collegemarker. He received an MA degree in 1847 and entered Lincoln's Innmarker in 1844. From 1847 to 1851 he was president of the Ionian University of Corfumarker.

Service in the Ionian Islands

From 1854 to 1859, George Bowen served as the chief secretary of government in the Ionian Islandsmarker. While in that post, he married the Contessa Diamantina di Roma on 28 April 1856. Diamantina was the daughter of Conte Giorgio-Candiano Roma and his wife Contessa Orsola, née di Balsamo. The Roma family were local aristocracy; her father being the President of the Ionian Senate, titular head of the Ionian Islandsmarker, from 1850 to 1856.

Governor of Queensland

Five years later in 1859, he was appointed the first Governor of Queensland, a colony that had just been separated from New South Walesmarker. He was interested in the exploration of Queenslandmarker and in the establishment of a volunteer force, but incurred some unpopularity by refusing to sanction the issue of inconvertible paper money during the financial crisis of 1866. But overall, he was quite popular in Queensland, so much so that the citizens requested an extension of his 5-year term as governor, resulting in his staying for a further two years.

Governor of New Zealand

In 1867 Bowen was made Governor of New Zealandmarker, where he was successful in reconciling the Māori reaction to the British rule there, and saw the end of the struggle between the colonists and the natives. (For a rather different view of the conflict and its partial resolution, see New Zealand land wars). He also instituted the New Zealand Cross, one of the rarest bravery awards in the world, equivalent to the Victoria Cross.

Governor of Victoria

In 1872 Bowen was transferred to Victoria marker as Governor of Victoria, where he embarked on an endeavour to reduce the expenses of the colony.

Governor of Mauritius

George Bowen was 13th Governor of Mauritiusmarker from 4 Apr 1879 to 9 Dec 1880.

Governor of Hong Kong

On 30 March 1883, Bowen was made Governor of Hong Kongmarker, a position in which he served until 1887, when he retired due to ill health. This was his last post in the Colonial Service.

During his tenure, Bowen established the Royal Observatorymarker, which became the meteorological institute for all of Hong Kong. He also established the first college in the territory, and ordered the construction of the Typhoon Shelter in Causeway Baymarker, and a government hospital.

Post-governorship

Bowen retired to Englandmarker after his tenure as Governor of Hong Kong, and was appointed as a chief of a Royal Commission which was sent to Maltamarker with regard to the new constitution for the island in December 1887. All recommendations made by Bowen were adopted. Afterwards, Bowen served as a privy councillor.

Personal life

Sir George Bowen
Bowen was married twice.

His first wife was Contessa Diamantina di Roma, daughter of Count Candiano di Roma. They had the following children:

Diamantina died in London in 1893 aged about 60 years old.

George married his second wife, Letitia Florence White, in late 1896 at Chelseamarker, Londonmarker. Florence was the daughter of Dr Thomas Luby, a mathematician, and was the widow of Henry White, whom she married in 1878.

George Ferguson Bowen died on 21 February 1899 in Brightonmarker, Sussex, Englandmarker aged 77 years old. He died from bronchitis after a short illness of 2 days. He was buried on 25 February 1899 in Kensal Green cemeterymarker, Londonmarker.

Honours



Literary works

  • Ithaca, 1850 (London, 1854 translated into Greek in 1859)
  • Mount Athos, Thessaly and Epirus (London, 1852);
  • Murray's Handbook for Greece (London, 1854).
  • Thirty Years of Colonial Government (London, 1889, edited by S. Lane-Poole)


Places named in his honour



His wife Diamantina appears to have been more popular than George in Queensland, as there are many Queensland places named after her.

See also

Read about his wife Lady Diamantina Bowen for a more fullsome account of the social and personal life of the couple.

Government Offices

References



Notes






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