On the 17th February 1846, by Letters Patent, it was proclaimed that the entire northern section of the then colony of New South Wales, being from the Latitude of 26oS northward, be established as the new colony of ‘North Australia’. The following extract of a letter from J. Stephen, Esq., to C. E. Trevelyan, Esq, dated 21st November, 1845 states:
” . . . Anticipating, therefore, that notwithstanding the measures already taken, the government of Van Diemen’s Land will still be oppressed with the multitude of unemployed labourers, for whose maintenance they will be responsible, it has appeared to Lord Stanley requisite that immediate provision should be made for meeting that contingency. It can, in his lordship’s opinion, be made only by founding in New Holland a new colony, to be settled partly by pardoned convicts from Van Diemen’s Land, and partly by that class of pardoned convicts who have recently been sent from this kingdom under the designation of exiles. For this purpose Lord Stanley purposes to detach from New South Wales, in pursuance of the powers granted by parliament to the Queen for that purpose, so much of that colony as lies to the north of the 26th degrees of south latitude, the new colony to be henceforth called North Australia . . . “
Source: Excerpt – ‘The Melbourne Argus’ (Vic) – Article “Northern Australia” – published 14th July 1846
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Charles Fitzroy, the Governor of New South Wales at the time, was appointed the Governor of ‘North Australia’.
However, Queen Victoria would revoke the Letters Patent for the establishment of the ‘Colony of North Australia’ on the 28th December 1847.
It was not until the 16th January 1849, that the Colony of North Australia was formally abolished . . .
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