A History of the Genesis of the Victorian Defence Department 1835 – 1885
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A History of the Genesis of the Victorian Defence Department 1835 – 1885 Micah Batt A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Philosophy UNSW School of Humanities and Social Sciences PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Batt First name: Micah Other name/s: Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: MPhil School: School of Humanities and Social Science Faculty: Title: A History of the Genesis of the Victorian Defence Department Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) The research contained in this thesis seeks to address a range of issues and questions related to an exploration of why Victoria’s colonial government established a defence department in 1883 when no other Australasian colony did so. The study draws primarily on Australian and British archival records, contemporary historical accounts and a large body of relevant secondary material to consider how political leaders, colonial administrators and the armed services in Britain and Victoria confronted the problems associated with planning, designing, implementing, funding and maintaining an effective indigenous defence capability in Victoria during a period of rapid social, economic and political change. The research identifies a series of chronologically related themes over the fifty-year period following European settlement in Victoria that shaped the evolution of Victoria’s colonial defence management through to the creation of a dedicated defence department in 1883. The chronological themes examine how local security issues related to Victoria’s gold rush combined with the pressures from wider strategic competition between Britain and various European powers and the introduction of responsible government, came to generate a set of complex contingent defence management circumstance in Victoria. It considers how such complexities came to shape the management of colonial defence in the Colony and how the vision and efforts of two men; James Service and Frederick Sargood, came to influence the ultimate decision to create Australia’s first, and only, colonial defence department. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). ........................................................... .......................................................... ……................................ Signature Witness Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS Table of Contents Page Table of Contents i Declaration ii Abstract iii Introduction 1 Chapter 1. 9 (1835 – 1855) Chapter 2. 31 (1855 – 1870) Chapter 3. 51 (1870 – 1880) Chapter 4. 71 (1880 -1885) Conclusion 95 Bibliography 105 ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed……………………………….. Date………………………………….. ii ABSTRACT The research contained in this thesis seeks to address a range of issues and questions related to an exploration of why Victoria’s colonial government established a defence department in 1883 when no other Australasian colony did so. The study draws primarily on Australian and British archival records, contemporary historical accounts and a large body of relevant secondary material to consider how political leaders, colonial administrators and the armed services in Britain and Victoria confronted the problems associated with planning, designing, implementing, funding and maintaining an effective indigenous defence capability in Victoria during a period of rapid social, economic and political change. The research identifies a series of chronologically related themes over the fifty-year period following European settlement in Victoria that shaped the evolution of Victoria’s colonial defence management through to the creation of a dedicated defence department in 1883. The chronological themes examine how local security issues related to Victoria’s gold rush combined with the pressures from wider strategic competition between Britain and various European powers and the introduction of responsible government, came to generate a set of complex contingent defence management circumstance in Victoria. It considers how such complexities came to shape the management of colonial defence in the Colony and how the vision and efforts of two men; James Service and Frederick Sargood, came to influence the ultimate decision to create Australia’s first, and only, colonial defence department. iii COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed .............................................................................. Date .............................................................................. AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed .............................................................................. Date .............................................................................. iv Introduction When the eminent naval historian Nicholas Rodgers chronicled the history of the Admiralty in his book entitled, The Admiralty, he started by stating that ‘of all the responsibilities of government, few are as important as that of national defence.’1 This statement is an often-repeated refrain in the annals of military history. Yet despite this, Australian history has largely been quiet on the subject of how Australia’s own national defence institution evolved from its colonial past. This is not a circumstance particularly unique to academic enquiry into Australia’s military past, but reflective of a wider tendency surrounding Australian historical analysis into the evolution of national identity from its colonial past. With few notable exceptions, detailed analytical research into the history and formation of late colonial and early national public policy, mechanisms of governance and creation of public institutions has been notably absent in Australia. This is somewhat surprising when one considers just how much influence this period in Australia’s history wielded over the eventual nature and character of Australian national identity after Federation. Australian military history is no different, with little detailed attention being given to consideration of the key themes and influences that shaped the formation of Australia’s first, and only, colonial defence department prior to Federation. As one of the original seven federal departments of the first Federal Executive in 1901, the Commonwealth Department of Defence played a central role in cementing the legitimacy and authority of national governance in Australia.2 It was in the Colony of Victoria where the emergence of defence issues laid claim to the development of Australia’s only colonial defence department. This thesis explores the genesis of