William Forster (Australian politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Forster
4th Premier of New South Wales
In office 27 October 1859 – 9 March 1860
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir William Denison
Preceded by	Charles Cowper
Succeeded by	John Robertson
Personal details
Born	(1818-10-16)16 October 1818 Madras, India
Died	30 October 1882(1882-10-30) (aged 64) Edgecliff, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Spouses	Eliza Jane Wall ​ (m. 1846)​ Maud Edwards ​ (m. 1873)​

William Forster (born 16 October 1818 – died 30 October 1882) was an important figure in early Australian history. He was a pastoral squatter, meaning he managed large areas of land for livestock. He also became a British politician in the colony of New South Wales, even serving as the Premier of New South Wales for a short time from 1859 to 1860. Besides his political and land management roles, Forster was also a talented poet.

Early Life and Education

William Forster was born in Madras, India, on 16 October 1818. His father, Thomas Forster, was an army surgeon, and his mother, Eliza Blaxland, was the daughter of Gregory Blaxland. His parents married in Sydney before traveling to India in 1817.

The family moved around, living in Wales in 1822 and Ireland in 1825. In 1829, they settled in Australia at Brush Farm in Eastwood. This farm was built by his grandfather, Gregory Blaxland, and is famous as the birthplace of the Australian wine industry. William continued his education in Australia, attending schools run by W. T. Cape and The King's School.

Becoming a Pastoral Squatter

As a young man, Forster became a squatter. This meant he took control of large areas of land for grazing sheep and cattle. He first set up his pastoral holdings near the Clarence River. Later, he moved to the Burnett River area, close to what is now Bundaberg.

In 1840, William Forster and his uncle, Gregory Blaxland Jnr, led their sheep herds. They moved them from the New England tablelands into the Clarence Valley. Their goal was to establish a new sheep station. The local Aboriginal people resisted this expansion onto their lands. Because of this, Forster named his holding Purgatory, and Blaxland named his Pandemonium. These names were later changed to Geergarow and Nymboida. Forster was made a magistrate in 1842, which meant he could act as a local judge.

In 1848, Forster and Blaxland continued to move north, seeking more land for their livestock. They drove over 30,000 sheep and 800 cattle more than 600 kilometers. After months of travel, they chose an area in Taribelung bunda country, along the lower Burnett River. They named this large property Tirroan, which covered much of the modern Bundaberg region.

The large herds of non-native animals caused damage to the natural environment and food sources of the Taribelung people. This led to conflicts, as the Taribelung people tried to protect their land. In 1849, two young shepherds from the station were killed. In response, Blaxland led a mission that resulted in many Aboriginal people being killed. Around this time, Forster was removed from his magistrate position.

More conflict happened in 1850, and Blaxland was killed. Forster then organized another mission, which led to a large number of Aboriginal people being killed near Paddy Island. Forster later estimated that hundreds died, but some Taribelung descendants believe up to 2,000 lives were lost. Soon after, Forster sold his share of the Tirroan property. However, he stayed in the Wide Bay-Burnett region until 1856, keeping ownership of other pastoral lands. By 1867, he still controlled over 30,000 hectares in the new state of Queensland.

Views on Colonisation and the Native Police

William Forster had strong opinions about the settlement of Australia and the Aboriginal people. He believed that it was impossible for different cultures to exist together when land was being taken over. He thought that colonisation happened in stages, starting with conflict and ending with the original owners accepting defeat.

In 1848, the Government of New South Wales created a special police force called the Native Police. This force was made up of Aboriginal people led by European officers. Their job was to control the Aboriginal population and reduce violence. Forster was very critical of this force and its leader, Walker. He disagreed with their methods and argued against allowing Aboriginal people who had committed crimes to work on properties. Forster's public campaign against Walker led to the commandant being removed from his position.

Political Career

When New South Wales gained "responsible government" in 1856, meaning its leaders were chosen by the people, William Forster was elected to the first Legislative Assembly. He represented the United Counties of Murray and St Vincent. From 1859 to 1860, he represented Queanbeyan.

Forster was generally conservative, but he disagreed with having an upper house of parliament where members were chosen, not elected. He also strongly supported building railways across the colony. He believed in being independent rather than strictly following a political party. When the government led by Cowper was defeated in 1859, Forster became the leader of a new government. However, his time as Premier of New South Wales lasted only about four months.

Forster won another election for East Sydney in May 1861. In October 1863, he was asked to form another government, but he couldn't. Instead, he became the Colonial Secretary in (Sir) James Martin's government until February 1865. From 1864 to 1869, Forster was the member for Hastings.

Even though he had been a strong opponent of John Robertson, Forster was given a role in Robertson's first government. He became the Secretary for Lands in October 1868. However, he only held this position for three months after Charles Cowper became Premier in January 1870. Forster continued to serve in parliament, representing Queanbeyan from 1869 to 1872, Illawarra from 1872 to 1874, and Murrumbidgee from 1875 to 1876.

In February 1875, Forster became the Colonial Treasurer in Robertson's third government. A year later, he was appointed Agent-General for New South Wales in London. This role meant he represented New South Wales in the United Kingdom. However, he was called back to New South Wales in 1878. This was due to a disagreement he had with Thomas Woolner about a statue of James Cook for Hyde Park, Sydney. He also caused some upset in London society by wearing bushman's clothes and speaking against the idea of federation (joining the Australian colonies into one country).

After returning to New South Wales, Forster was elected for Gundagai. He was offered the position of Leader of the Opposition but chose not to take it. People described Forster as a skilled debater, but he sometimes used harsh words in his speeches. James Martin once said he was "disagreeable in opposition, insufferable as a supporter, and fatal as a colleague." However, this was just one view of his complex personality.

A Talented Poet

William Forster was also a writer. From 1844, he wrote many pieces for the Atlas, a newspaper edited by Robert Lowe. One of his most famous poems was The Devil and the Governor, which criticized Governor Gipps. It is considered one of the best Australian satirical poems from the 19th century. He also wrote for Henry Parkes' newspaper, The Empire, and other publications.

Forster did not publish his own books until later in his life. His only prose work, Political Presentments, came out in London in 1878. This book contained thoughtful discussions about how parliament worked, the growth of democracy in Europe, and the political situation of his time. He also published several books of poetry: The Weirwolf: a Tragedy (1876), The Brothers: a Drama (1877), and Midas (1884). These works show his strong and creative mind and can still be interesting to read today.

Family Life and Legacy

In 1846, William Forster married Eliza Wall. They settled at Brush Farm in 1856. They had two sons and six daughters, including Laura Forster, who became a surgeon during World War I. Eliza passed away in 1862. In 1873, he married Maud Julia Edwards, and they had three sons and two daughters. William Forster died in Edgecliff on 30 October 1882.

William Forster's name lives on in a few ways. The scientific name for the Queensland lungfish, Neoceradotus forsteri, was named after him by Gerard Krefft. This was because Forster was the one who brought the first specimen of this unique fish to Sydney. Also, the town of Forster, New South Wales was named in his honor.

See also

• Forster ministry