Tenth Governor of New South Wales.

Born in England.

Many aristocratic connections and experience in British Government.

Solved difficulties with the New South Wales Legislative Council by asking for a supplementary grant from the Colonial Office for the administration of justice within the colony. He prized good relations between the legislature and the executive above the niceties of constitutional law.

The Colonial Office allowed the Legislative Council to collect money from the landowners and squatters within the colony and use it for the benefit of the colony. This was a great benefit to the Government of New South Wales.

Previous arguments that Gipps had had with the squatters’ land claims were pacified with the introduction of the Waste Lands Occupation Act (1846) This gave the squatters long leases, renewals, rights of pre-emption and other concessions that they had demanded. This led to a disintegration of the relationship between squatters and landowners that had previously weakened the New South Wales Government.

Without consulting the Colonial Office, FitzRoy allowed a generous adjustment of quitrents. He allowed debtors to commute their payments, and lands on which twenty years rent had been paid were freed from further charges with refunds of overpayments. While London was dissatisfied with FitzRoy’s generosity, the colony liked its new governor.

Grey, the Secretary of State, proposed to separate the Port Phillip District from New South Wales and make it a new colony, Victoria, with representative government on the New South Wales pattern. The same form of government would be granted to Van Diemen’s Land and South Australia. Grey proposed to establish a federal legislature to watch over the common interests of the four colonies. FitzRoy felt that this was a reasonable proposal.

Grey also proposed to strengthen the powers of the district councils but this was resented in the colony as it was seen to be something that could weaken the powers of effective self-government of the colony itself.

The Colonial Office wanted to re-introduce convict transportation. After some frustration within the Legislative Council, this occurred in a modified form.

Grey wanted to protect Aboriginal people but FitzRoy did not want to quarrel with landholders who found them to be a nuisance and objected to government spending on their welfare.

Was Governor when the Australian Colonies Government Act was passed in 1849-50. This allowed a more liberal franchise of the colony including the leasehold squatters who would strengthen the Government in the Legislative Council. This new act gave the right to vote to the holders of depasturing licences and certain leaseholders.

Whilst Governor, transportation to Van Diemen’s land was stopped and the colony gained power over its waste lands and land revenues after it had drawn up a new Constitution to be approved in London.

The new Constitution provided an elected lower house in a bicameral legislature. FitzRoy became Governor of New South Wales, Van Diemen’s Land, South Australia and Victoria and Governor-General of all Australian possessions including Western Australia. This meant that he could visit any of the colonies, except Western Australia and take over their governments if by doing this, he could solve intercolonial problems. He also had wide discretion to advise the Lieutenant-Governors of the other colonies on matters of common interest. There was no inter-colonial executive to assist him, however.

The appointment of a Governor- General in 1851 was one of the first movements towards an Australian federation. Fitzroy was appointed Governor-general simply because he was Governor of the oldest, wealthiest and most populous colony. Fitzroy made little attempt to exercise his powers as Governor General in the three most important intercolonial problems which arose – the formulation of new tariffs in 1852 and 1853 and the dispute between New South Wales and Victoria over railway gauges in 1853.