George Le Hunte
Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte ( born August 20, 1852 in Artramont, County Wexford, Ireland, † January 29, 1925 in Crowborough, England) was a British colonial administrator and Governor of South Australia and Trinidad and Tobago.
Life
After studying law at Eton and Trinity College, from which he graduated in 1880 with the master, he was a barrister and member of the Bar Inner Temple. In 1875 he was appointed private secretary to Arthur Gordon, serving from 1875-87 in the Fiji Islands. On 14 February 1884 he married Caroline Rachel Clowes.
From 1887-94 was Le Hunte President of Dominica, then from 1894 to 1897 Colonial Secretary of Barbados and Mauritius ( 1897). In 1899 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of British New Guinea. There he tried to extend the influence of the colonial government, supported the work of Christian missionaries and encouraged the formation of new European settlements. However, due to high financial problems he was able to put hardly anything. After 1901 the missionaries James Chalmers and Oliver Tomkins on Goaribari Iceland were victims of cannibals, presented Le Hunte a punitive expedition together. Although the missionary society in London spoke out against acts of revenge, the expedition killed under his leadership about 25 natives and destroyed a large part of the village. Le Hunte explained his actions as justified because the natives would have earned it by their deeds; in Britain and Australia, he has been criticized.
After a year in England Le Hunte was appointed in July 1903 to the Governor of the Australian state of South Australia. During his tenure, the title "the children's governor " was given to him because of his affection for children. He advised the Prime Minister Alfred Deakin in particular the administration of the then still relevant to Australia southern part of Papua New Guinea, the territory of Papua ). In December 1908 he obtained the post of the Governor of Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1915 he entered into retirement and settled in the English Crowborough. On January 29, 1925, he died from cancer.
Awards
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (1898 )
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (1908 )
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (1912 )