John Gardiner Austin
John Gardiner Austin, CMG (Chinese: 柯士甸) (7 August 1812 – 25 July 1900) was a British colonial administrator. He was Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras 1864–1867, and Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1868 to 1879, acting as Administrator (acting Governor) of the colony in 1877.
Career
Austin was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras in February 1864,[1] and served for two years until 1867.
In 1868 he was appointed Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong,[2] serving as such until 1879. He was also Auditor General of the colony from 1870 to 1879,[3] and Administrator (acting Governor) from March to April 1877. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in March 1876, for his services in Hong Kong.[4]
Family
Austin married, in 1836, Emma Wilday (1 February 1811 - 9 May 1879), and was the father of six sons and four daughters, including:
- Charles Wilday Austin (19 January 1837 - 1 December 1862)
- John Gardiner Austin (19 July 1838 - 8 March 1902), who in September 1901 was appointed a Member of the Barbados Legislative council.[5] Sir Harold Austin was his son.
- Mehetabel Percy Austin (29 Feb 1840 - 27 December 1943), who married in 1862 Axel Dickson (1826-1899), a member of the Swedish parliament of Scottish origin. She was one of few people born on a leap day to celebrate a centennial.[6]
Legacy
Mount Austin on Hong Kong Island, Austin Road and Austin Avenue in Kowloon were named after him. The Austin Station of the MTR was so-named due to its proximity to Austin Road West, and the naming may be more influenced by geographical convenience rather than any direct link to Austin himself.
References
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 22814. p. 483. 2 February 1864.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 23353. p. 772. 18 February 1868. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ↑ Audit Commission: Directors of Audit to date
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24305. p. 1899. 14 March 1876.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27357. p. 6165. 20 September 1901.
- ↑ "Leap year centenarian" The Times (London). Thursday, 29 February 1940. (48552), p. 11.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Thomas Mercer |
Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong 1868–1879 |
Succeeded by Sir William Henry Marsh |
| Preceded by William Hepburn Rennie |
Auditor-General of Hong Kong 1870–1879 | |
| Preceded by Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy |
Administrator of Hong Kong March 1877 – April 1877 |
Succeeded by Sir John Pope Hennessy |