John Gardiner Austin
Born(1812-08-07)7 August 1812
Demerara
Died25 July 1900(1900-07-25) (aged 87)
Hove, East Sussex, England
Occupation(s)farmer, colonial official

John Gardiner Austin CMG (Chinese: 柯士甸; 7 August 1812 – 25 July 1900) was a British colonial administrator. He was Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras 1864–1867, and Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1868 to 1879, acting as Administrator (acting Governor) of the colony in 1877.

Background and early life

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Career

Austin was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras in February 1864,[1] and served for two years until 1867.

In 1868, he was appointed Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong,[2] serving as such until 1879. He was also Auditor General of the colony from 1870 to 1879,[3] and Administrator (acting Governor) from March to April 1877. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in March 1876, for his services in Hong Kong.[4]

Family

Austin married, in 1836, Emma Wilday (1 February 1811 – 9 May 1879), and was the father of six sons and four daughters, including:

Legacy

Mount Austin on Hong Kong Island, Austin Road and Austin Avenue in Kowloon were named after him. The Austin station of the MTR was so-named due to its proximity to Austin Road West, and the naming may be more influenced by geographical convenience rather than any direct link to Austin himself.

References

  1. ^ "No. 22814". The London Gazette. 2 February 1864. p. 483.
  2. ^ "No. 23353". The London Gazette. 18 February 1868. p. 772.
  3. ^ Audit Commission: Directors of Audit to date
  4. ^ "No. 24305". The London Gazette. 14 March 1876. p. 1899.
  5. ^ "No. 27357". The London Gazette. 20 September 1901. p. 6165.
  6. ^ "Leap year centenarian". The Times. No. 48552. London. 29 February 1940. p. 11.
Government offices Preceded byWilliam Thomas Mercer Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong 1868–1879 Succeeded bySir William Henry Marsh Preceded byWilliam Hepburn Rennie Auditor-General of Hong Kong 1870–1879 Preceded bySir Arthur Edward Kennedy Administrator of Hong Kong March 1877 – April 1877 Succeeded bySir John Pope Hennessy


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