Charles La Trobe

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Charles La Trobe

Charles Joseph La Trobe (March 20, 1801 - December 4, 1875) was the first lieutenant-governor of the colony of Victoria. He was born in England, of Swiss parents. Active in mountaineering, he made a number of ascents in the Alps 1824-1826. In 1832 he visited the United States along with Count Albert Pourtales, and in 1834 travelled from New Orleans to Mexico with Washington Irving.

In 1837 he was entrusted with a government commission in the West Indies, then was sent to the Port Phillip district of New South Wales in 1839. By 1851, when Melbourne had a gold-induced exodus, he became lieutenant-governor. In 1839 he wrote an order to the Governor of New South Wales of that time, asking him to declare what became known as Victoria and have it recognised as a separate colony.

Though he had little managerial and administrative experience, he was governor for three years, until 1854. Towards the end of his governorship, his wife Sophie became ill, and he had to wait for Charles Hotham to take his place.

Much of Melbourne's substantial inner city parks and gardens can be attributed to La Trobe's foresight in reserving this land. Melbourne and Victoria are dotted with things named in honour of La Trobe, including La Trobe University, La Trobe Street in the CBD, the federal electorate of La Trobe in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs, the Latrobe Valley in southeastern Victoria, Mount LaTrobe in Wilsons Promontory, and the La Trobe Reading Room at the State Library of Victoria.

Charles La Trobe is also heavily linked with the discovery of a piece of evidence suggesting early Portuguese explorations of Australia. In 1847, at Limeburners’ Point near Geelong, Victoria, Charles La Trobe, a keen geologist, was examining the shells from a lime kiln when a worker showed him the Geelong keys, a set of five keys that he claimed to have found. La Trobe concluded that the keys were dropped onto the beach around three centuries ago. It has been suggested they were dropped in 1522 by Cristóvão de Mendonça or one of his sailors. Since the keys have been lost, however, their origin cannot be verified.