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Admiral 'Sir James Stirling' RN (January 28 1791–April 23 1865) was a British marine officer and colonial administrator. He was the first Governor of Western Australia (1828–38) and on his own initiative signed Britain's first limited treaty with Japan in 1854.

Contents

Family background

Career

West Indies

Surrey

Western Australia

Mediterranean

Far East

Retirement

References

Further reading

See also

External links

Family background

He was the fifth son of eight of the fifteen children of Andrew Stirling, Esq. of Drumpellier near Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. His mother, Anne was his father's second cousin, being the daughter of Admiral Sir Walter Stirling and the sister of Sir Walter Stirling, 1st Baronet of Faskine and Admiral Sir Charles Stirling.
The Stirling family was well-known and celebrated in the naval annals of the 18th century. With such a family background, it was natural for James to enter the Royal Navy, and at the age of 12 (in 1803) he joined up as a first-class volunteer, embarking on the storeship ''Camel'' for the West Indies. Thus began a distinguished career.

Career

West Indies

Soon after arriving in the West Indies, young Stirling became midshipman of the ''Hercules'', and in 1805 he went to serve in his uncle's flagship Glory.
In that year he saw action off Cape Finisterre during the Napoleonic Wars against the French and Spanish fleets, and later served under the flag of his uncle in the ''Sampson'' and the ''Diadem'' in the operations on the Rio de la Plata. After watching the fall of Montevideo and being incorrectly reported as killed in action, he served for a time on the Home Station and on 12 August 1809, at the age of 19 was promoted Lieutenant in the ''Warspite''. In 1811 he was Flag Lieutenant to his uncle, now Vice Admiral in command at Jamaica.
On 27 February 1812, he received his first command, the sloop "Moselle", and soon afterwards the larger sloop "Brazen" in which he was employed during the War of 1812 in harassing forts and shipping near the[Mississipi River]

Surrey

At Woodbridge, Surrey, he became acquainted with the Mangles family, whose wealthy head had extensive interests in the East Indies, had been High Sheriff for Surrey in 1808, was a director of the British East India Company, and in 1832–37 represented Guildford in Parliament. His third daughter, Ellen, attracted Stirling's attention and the couple were married at Stoke Church, Guildford on 3 September 1823 on Ellen's 16th birthday. They had six daughters and five sons.

Western Australia

In 1826, the Governor of New South Wales, Governor Darling sent Stirling on the ''Success'' to visit and report on the west coast of Australia. Stirling was impressed with the land in the vicinity of the Swan River describing it as ideal for establishing a permanent settlement. In particular, he was pleased with the defensive prospects of Mount Eliza (the large hill which Kings Park is on), situated as it is near the narrows of the Swan River, which would make defending the colony from gunships easy, with just a few cannons.
On returning to London in 1828, Stirling lobbied officials to enlist support for a settlement to be established in Western Australia. He finally succeeded and on 9 February 1829 he departed Plymouth in the ''Parmelia'', arriving at what became known as the Swan River Colony on 31 May. Stirling administered the new colony until December 1838. With the creation of the Western Australian Legislative Council in 1830, Stirling automatically became an official member.
In October 1834 Stirling led a detachment of 25 armed troopers and settlers including Septimus Roe and Thomas Peel that attacked an encampment of 60-80 Pindjarep Aboriginal people. The Pindjarep fled into the bush and were later encircled near a crossing on the Pinjarra River, Stirling referred to this as the Battle of Pinjarra. Settlers accounts claim between 10-80 aboriginals died compared to aboriginal oral history which claim 150 people died.^{[1] [2]}
Stirling remained entirely unsympathetic to the needs of Aboriginal people in Western Australia, and never recognised their prior ownership of the land despite the fact that the Buxton Committee of the British House of Commons informed him that this was a mistake for which the new colony would suffer. Stirling mentioned in dispatches that the Aborigines "must gradually disappear" and the "most anxious and judicious measures of the local government [could] prevent the ulterior extinction of the race".
As recognition of his service in establishing the colony Stirling was granted land near Beverley, Western Australia. This land, along with neighbouring properties was re-acquired by the Western Australian Government, who later subdivided the land into farmlets for returning soldiers. The remaining land was later used to establish the Avondale Agricultural Research Station, which includes Stirling's restored homestead.

Mediterranean

In October 1840 he was appointed to command the ''Indus'' in the Mediterranean where he remained until June 1844. After another three years ashore he was appointed to the ''Howe'' which he commanded from April 1847 to April 1850 when he was knighted by the King of Greece.

Far East

In July 1851, Stirling was promoted Rear Admiral and in the following year served at the Admiralty. From January 1854 to February 1856 Stirling was commander in chief of the naval forces in China and the East Indies.
Using gunboat diplomacy he signed the first British treaty with Japan (the Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty) on October 14 1854 "In 1856 he was recalled because he had failed in the primary naval duty of finding and destroying the Russian squadron - partly, perhaps, because of his preoccupation with the self-imposed task of negotiating with Japan" (Beasley, p. 144). Yet his agreements with Japan were ratified, and his conduct was officially commended.

Retirement

Stirling was promoted Vice Admiral in August 1857. He became an Admiral in November 1862 and died in comfortable retirement at Guildford in Surrey on 22 April 1865 aged 74. His wife survived him by nine years and both were buried in the extension to the graveyard of Stoke Church where they had been married.
He is commemorated in the plant genus ''Stirlingia'', named in his honour by Stephan Endlicher in 1838. Stoke Church's social centre and hall is named ''The Stirling Centre'' in recognition of him.

References

1. ''This week in history.'' FRANK DUNN. 'Sunday Times' (Perth)(Perth, Australia). October 23, 2005.
2. ''ABORIGINALS AND SETTLERS.'' SUSAN HEWITT. 'The West Australian' (Perth). FEATURES; Pg. 2. May 26, 2004.


★ ''Great Britain and the Opening of Japan, 1834-1858'' by W.G. Beasley (Japan Library paperback, 1995, first published by Luzac & Co., 1951) ISBN 1-873410-43-3

Further reading

★ Hasluck, Alexandra.''James Stirling''.Melbourne: Oxford University Press. 1963.

★ Statham-Drew, Pamela. ''James Stirling : admiral and founding governor of Western Australia'' Crawley, W.A. : University of Western Australia Press, 2003. ISBN 1876268948

See also

★ Anglo-Japanese relations

External links

★ Celebrate W.A. site - very detailed and the source of much of the above

★ Governors and Premiers of Western Australia, The Constitution Centre of Western Australia, , , The Constitution Centre of Western Australia, 2002, ISBN 0-7307-3821-3