The Life of Sir Frederick Weld, G.C.M.G.: A Pioneer of Empire

Written in 1914 by Alice, Lady Lovat (1846-1938), a cousin, this biography of Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld (1823-91) is characterised by its subtitle, ‘a pioneer of empire’. The young Weld emigrated to New Zealand with a cousin to establish sheep stations. Entering politics, he became Minister for Native Affairs and then Premier; his Native Rights Act of 1865 redressed many of the grievances which had led to the Maori Wars. In 1868 he was appointed Governor of Western Australia, where he brought in a degree of representative government and helped develop the telegraph and transport infrastructure. In 1874 he became Governor of Tasmania, and in 1880 was promoted to the Straits Settlements, where his period as a colonial administrator was notable for the increase of British influence among the princely rulers of the Malay States. Retiring in 1887 for health reasons, he died in England in 1891.