Peter Perry (colonialist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Perry
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|---|---|
| Born | 1873 |
| Died | 1935 |
| Nationality | British |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Colonial employee |
J. Frederick "Peter" Perry (1873-1935) was a British government worker. He is best known for his role in South Africa after the Second Boer War. He was part of a special group called Milner's Kindergarten.
Contents
Peter Perry's Life
Early Career and South Africa
Peter Perry went to Oxford University in England. In 1900, he started working for Lord Alfred Milner. This was right after the British won the Boer War. Perry became Milner's personal helper.
In 1901, Perry got a bigger job. He became the Assistant Imperial Secretary. This meant he was in charge of all areas where local people lived in South Africa. These areas included the Orange River Colony and Transvaal, which were new British lands.
Rebuilding South Africa
South Africa needed a lot of help after the war. Perry worked to get the country back on its feet. He talked with leaders in Mozambique, a nearby country. He wanted to find African workers for the mines.
In 1903, Perry left his government job. He started working for private companies. His new role was to manage the hiring and working conditions for African miners. These mines were mostly for gold in the Rand area, near Johannesburg.
Bringing Chinese Workers
The gold mines needed even more workers. So, in 1904, a new rule was passed. It allowed temporary foreign workers to come to South Africa. Peter Perry then traveled to China. His job was to find and hire Chinese workers. They would sign contracts to work in the South African gold mines for three years.
Perry was very good at this job. The first 1,000 Chinese workers arrived in June 1904. A year later, there were 40,000 Chinese workers. By 1906, the number reached 50,000. Even though these workers were not highly skilled, they helped South Africa's economy grow quickly. The last of the Chinese workers left South Africa in 1910.
Later Life and Retirement
In 1912, Peter Perry moved from South Africa to Canada. He then started a new career in banking. He joined a company called Lazard Brothers in London. He worked there with Robert Brand, who was also part of Milner's Kindergarten. Perry stayed in banking until he retired.
