author

Philip Gidley King

1758–1808

An early colonial governor and naval officer, he helped found the settlement on Norfolk Island and later led New South Wales during a difficult formative period. His career sits at the center of the first decades of British settlement in Australia.

2 Audiobooks

An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 1

An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 1

by David Collins, Philip Gidley King

An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2

An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2

by George Bass, David Collins, Philip Gidley King

About the author

Born in Launceston, Cornwall, in 1758, Philip Gidley King joined the Royal Navy as a boy and went on to play a major role in Britain's first Australian colonies. He sailed with the First Fleet and was chosen to establish the settlement on Norfolk Island, where he later served as lieutenant-governor.

King became the third Governor of New South Wales in 1800. During his time in office, he worked to strengthen farming, trade, and administration in a colony that was still unstable and short on resources. He also had to deal with ongoing conflicts over authority, especially the influence of the New South Wales Corps.

He returned to England after resigning in 1806 and died in 1808. Today he is remembered as one of the key figures in the early colonial history of Australia, particularly for his leadership on Norfolk Island and in New South Wales.