author
Philip Gidley King
1758–1808
A Royal Navy officer turned colonial governor, he played a central role in the early years of New South Wales and Norfolk Island. His career placed him at the center of the difficult work of building and governing a young British settlement in Australia.
2 Audiobooks
An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 1 With Remarks on the Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. of The Native Inhabitants of That Country. to Which Are Added, Some Particulars of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. of Lieutenant-Governor King.
by David Collins, Philip Gidley King
About the author
Born in Launceston, Cornwall, in 1758, Philip Gidley King entered the Royal Navy as a boy and rose through service at sea. He became closely associated with Britain’s first settlement plans for Australia and sailed with the First Fleet era of colonial expansion.
King is best known for his work in the early Australian colonies. He served as lieutenant-governor of Norfolk Island and later as the third governor of New South Wales, holding office from 1800 to 1806. Contemporary accounts describe him as an energetic administrator who tried to strengthen the colony’s economy and civil order during a difficult and often unstable period.
He returned to England after his governorship and died in 1808. Today he is remembered as one of the key figures in the formative years of European settlement in Australia.