Governor Samuel Blackall

Samuel Wensley Blackall was born the son of Major Robert Blackall and Catherine Lewis on 1 May 1809 in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland.

He married in London Catherine Bowles in 1833, and Catherine Bond in 1848 at Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland.

He was educated in 1824 at Trinity College, Dublin University, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland.

Gained Ranks:

• Lieutenant between 1827 and 1833 in the service of the 85th Regiment.
• Major in 1833 in the service of the Royal Longford Militia.

Offices Held:

• High Sheriff of County Longford in 1833.
• Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Longford between 1847 and 1851.
• Lieutenant-Governor of Dominica between 1851 and 1857.
• He held the office of High Sheriff of County Tyrone in 1861.
• Governor of Sierra Leone between 1862 and 1865.
• Governor of the West African Settlements between 1865 and 1868.
• Governor of Queensland between 1868 and 1871.

Known children of Samuel Wensley Blackall and Catherine Bond:

• Adelaide Blackall she died on 3 Oct 1864

In 1833 he married Catherine Bowles in London and in 1848 Catherine Bond at Dublin; his second wife died in 1864 predeceased by their two children.

By 1870 Blackall's health was failing rapidly and he knew the end was near. In 1870 when the government decided to set aside a new cemetery reserve at Toowong he inspected the area and selected the highest spot for his grave. At the same time he requested that his funeral be such as could be attended by even the humblest. Three months later, on 2 January 1871, he died and his wishes were gratified. A fine memorial was erected over his grave, the first in the cemetery. His memory is also preserved by the town of Blackall, the Blackall Range, and the first Queensland government steamer, Governor Blackall, bought by Charles Lilley when premier of Queensland in 1870.

Australian Biography

He died on 2 January 1871 aged 61 years.

Citations and Links:

• Trove Search - Newspaper Articles
• Wiki Pedia
• Australian Biography
• The Peerage
• Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, volume 1, page 1229.