LaTrobe Tries & Fails
While the large-scale issues began to erupt at Bendigo, feeling was also building elsewhere, and by 1854 the scene had moved to Ballarat. By this stage, LaTrobe was more than a little unpopular among the miners. He was very much seen as the devil in Victoria's hell. Was this fair?
We would never argue LaTrobe was perfect, particularly as some of his decisions affecting First Australians were more than reprehensible. But despite the views of many diggers, LaTrobe was, especially as regards white people (this is really a subject for lengthy consideration, but this is not the right place for it), a very humane and liberal intellectual.
LaTrobe was an extremely interesting man, as his books indicate, and although making decisions that exacerbated the goldfields' problems, he appears to have been acting either as directed, or in accordance with the wishes of Victoria's Legislative Council. However, this could actually be at the core of a large part of what could be seen as making him a poor governor.
We would never argue LaTrobe was perfect, particularly as some of his decisions affecting First Australians were more than reprehensible. But despite the views of many diggers, LaTrobe was, especially as regards white people (this is really a subject for lengthy consideration, but this is not the right place for it), a very humane and liberal intellectual.
LaTrobe was an extremely interesting man, as his books indicate, and although making decisions that exacerbated the goldfields' problems, he appears to have been acting either as directed, or in accordance with the wishes of Victoria's Legislative Council. However, this could actually be at the core of a large part of what could be seen as making him a poor governor.
Some of LaTrobe's Pre-Melbourne Books
These are various of LaTrobe's books on his travels prior to coming to Melbourne. A book of poems
is also attributed to him, and while we're sure he could have written one if he had wanted,
current thinking is that this book is incorrectly attributed. His travel books are based on letters, but
they're really very interesting, and well worth a read. Sadly, apart from his official stuff, he doesn't
seem to have done any more writing after arriving in Melbourne - although, again, much
of his official stuff is also worth a read. His record as Governor may have been contentious, but he was a
highly literate, very observant man, with a good wit. You can find many of his letters and journals online.
is also attributed to him, and while we're sure he could have written one if he had wanted,
current thinking is that this book is incorrectly attributed. His travel books are based on letters, but
they're really very interesting, and well worth a read. Sadly, apart from his official stuff, he doesn't
seem to have done any more writing after arriving in Melbourne - although, again, much
of his official stuff is also worth a read. His record as Governor may have been contentious, but he was a
highly literate, very observant man, with a good wit. You can find many of his letters and journals online.
William Westgarth was a wealthy businessman, and, despite that, he was surprisingly, with John O'Shannassy, probably the most radical member of the Legislative Council. Interestingly, he was an appointee of LaTrobe's.
Westgarth respected LaTrobe, but was also extremely frustrated with what he (Westgarth) regarded as LaTrobe's tendency to always follow the rule book. According to Westgarth, he failed to use his undoubted intellect to search out creative or imaginative responses to issues, or to stand up to the British Government, his boss (the Governor of New South Wales, for while Victoria separated from New South Wales in 1851, LaTrobe was a Lieutenant-Governor, under his Sydney counterpart), and the Legislative Council.
Some years later, Westgarth wrote these comments in a vignette on LaTrobe:
Westgarth respected LaTrobe, but was also extremely frustrated with what he (Westgarth) regarded as LaTrobe's tendency to always follow the rule book. According to Westgarth, he failed to use his undoubted intellect to search out creative or imaginative responses to issues, or to stand up to the British Government, his boss (the Governor of New South Wales, for while Victoria separated from New South Wales in 1851, LaTrobe was a Lieutenant-Governor, under his Sydney counterpart), and the Legislative Council.
Some years later, Westgarth wrote these comments in a vignette on LaTrobe:
... He was naturally a quiet, amiable, unambitious man, full of official activity and ability, in a prescribed line, or under the instructions of superiors. ...
... What he [LaTrobe] did not bargain for was that the child he went to nurse was to rush almost from the cradle into manhood; and the little "settlement" he began his reign with to be, ere he had done with it, the most notable, if not indeed actually the most important, colony of the empire. ...
... The pure and happy home which he transferred to the new scene was of priceless value to its society, and all the more so at a time when such virtuous homes, in such high quarters, were by no means over common thereabout. But with a natural shyness, and, in a socio-political sense, timidity of character, which in ordinary circumstances are feelings leaning to the better side, he exemplified how a good man may not always be a good ruler of men. The diffidence is often mistaken by the ruled, and always disappointing; and in public affairs it is apt, as Mr. La Trobe but too well illustrated, to take the inconvenient and injurious form of personal indecision.
He had not a particle of pride or selfishness, hardly even of the commoner infirmity of vanity. He would, whenever possible, take a roundabout to escape observation, but if even the humblest colonist persisted to address him, unrepelled by the evident tendency to "move on," he would be as frank and unceremonious as our Queen in a Highland cottage. We regret that so righteously-stored a man should make a bad Governor; but so it was, none the less.
There was comparatively little damage during the day of smaller things, prior to the gold. Still, even then, the characteristics told, in the reluctance to resolve upon action in any departure from the red tape of the beaten track ...
But when the goldfields' grand drama of progress opened, when thousands promptly flowed into Victoria from neighbouring colonies, and, a little later on, ten thousands from Home, this chariness of action, this resolute irresolution, or ... this "obstinate indecision," proved sadly damaging to the colony ...
See Ya Later Guvvie LaTrobe
Some of LaTrobe's Art Works
Another of Georgiana's lovely self-portraits
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LaTrobe resigned from his Lieutenant-Governorship in 1854, claiming his resignation was forced by illness. Some sources say he was sacked, but this is bollocks. LaTrobe asked to be relieved in 1852, by which time he had been in Melbourne for 13 years, but had to wait until 1854, when his replacement was appointed and finally on his way to fill LaTrobe's position. At several times LaTrobe's salary it has to be said.
If LaTrobe had been in Melbourne still, would Eureka have occurred? Well, obviously we can't know for sure. But, he was certainly a more humane man than his successor, however he did institute the licensing system and the digger hunts, and he did rather rudely and abruptly reject the Bendigo diggers' petition. On the other hand, he was promoting some electoral reform, although definitely not democracy as either they or we knew it. He was also promoting the gold export duty as an alternative to the licensing system, so he could stop its more extreme levels of unfairness, and especially so the digger hunts could be stopped. In this sense, what he was saying to the diggers was one thing, and what he was attempting to do behind the scenes was another. It seems a great shame he didn't feel he could be more open with the miners, and consult with them more on prospective reforms. Prior to being able to leave, however, his wife returned to England, with the couple's children. LaTrobe was extremely friendly with an amazing, but married, woman called Georgiana Macrae. Some people at the time reckoned it was this friendship that led to LaTrobe's wife leaving, and that the excuse of illness was just that, a fabricated excuse. "Fortunately" for La Trobe and Georgiana's reputations, La Trobe's wife proceeded to die in England in January, 1854. After that, most, and only most, of the gossipers were silenced. We can't prove one way or the other whether the reason for La Trobe's wife leaving was illness or anger, but can only form an opinion on the basis of probabilities that the excuse was real. For those of you with a prurient interest in whether or not LaTrobe and Georgiana had a sexual relationship, we also can't prove one way or the other on evidence currently extant. We admit some bias, as we have a degree of admiration for both LaTrobe and Georgiana, but in the greater scheme of things we genuinely don't care whether they had sex or not. We just hope they were happy. However, if forced to announce an opinion, we don't believe they had sex. It is as true then as it is today that men and women can form strong non-sexual relationships. We know many people deny this, but we don't agree. We believe the basis of their relationship was that finding someone who shared their views and interests where most people had no intellectual interest except in the price of sheep, the source of their next alcoholic drink, and who was having babies less than 9 months after marriage, was a great gift. So La Trobe and Georgiana were naturally drawn together, and in all probability enjoyed a platonic relationship. This is even more so if their partners didn't share their interests. But if you're interested in this, perhaps you should ask yourself why. Sorry, we don't want to appear prudish, moralistic or lecturing, but there you go. Anyway, LaTrobe finally managed to return to England in 1854. In 1855, he married his sister-in-law, specifically, his wife's sister. It's possible this was a move to ensure a mother's, or step-mother's, care for his children, but we note the relationship produced two children. For some obscure reason marrying one's wife's sister was illegal in England at the time, and was regarded as incest. LaTrobe and his new wife initially lived in her home country of Switzerland. The incest thing ensured LaTrobe wasn't given another job. However, he and his family eventually returned to England. Sadly, his eyesight gradually failed to blindness, in which condition he spent his last few years before dying in 1875. |