The Repudiated Annexation

of 1883

By W. H. MacFarlane

THE story of Sir Peter Scratchley’s foundation work in Papua, re lated in the August issue of PIM. presents a new feature of New Guinea history to many Territorians and Australians.

It is worth while recalling, how ever, that there is another name in timately bound up with early New Guinea days, and associated with a rather startling incident that hap pened a year or so before Sir Peter’s arrival—that of Lieutenant Henry Majoribanks Chester, late of the Indian Navy, the man who formally annexed British New Guinea on April 4, 1883. Chester’s name is fairly well known in connection with this act of annexation, of course; but usually there is the implication that he was merely a rubber-stamp Gov ernment official carrying out the in structions of his superior without much in the way of personal interest in the whole business. To the con trary, over the previous 15 years this determined, courageous Britisher of somewhat choleric disposition but far-seeing judgment and vision, had been urging that the flag, which had been shown from time to time and even hoisted on occasion in virtue of a British claim, should be followed by an act of duly-constituted settle ment. Frequent excursions to New Guinea’s coastal areas and parts of the interior had led him to an appreciation of its commercial potenti alities as well as its strategic import ance.

Chester had a colourful back ground. Born on December 30, 1832, in the days of large families, he was the youngest sen and the twentieth child of a London Anglican clergy man who later became a military chaplain in Madras, leaving the boy at home to be educated. Young Henry Majoribanks was enrolled at the famous Blue Coat school in London, trained for the sea at the Royal Mathematical School, and then, about 1849 joined the Indian Navy, at that time under the control of the East India Company.

He was a lieutenant when the Indian Navy was abolished in 1862, and was given an appointment as British political agent at the court of the Imam of Muscat and Sultan of Oman. He served all through the Persian War; was navigating lieuten ant at the bombardment of the

Mohammerah forts; and twice men tioned in despatches, and was awarded the Persia War Medal and clasp. He was an accomplished linguist, speaking fluent French, Arabic and Hindustani; and he was proficient in Persian literature. A man of fine physique, he was a splendid athlete and an adept with the foils.

The middle ’sixties found the lieutenant in Australia, as correspond ence clerk in the Union Bank at Brisbane. Then he was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands and Police Magistrate at Warrego. He had a practical knowledge of sur veying and was called to lay out the townships of Charleville and Cun namulla, both towns being sold on his survey. Bad times brought re trenchment, and Chester became Government Land Agent at Glad stone and Gympie.

When in 1869, Frank Jardine, then Resident Magistrate at Somerset, went on leave, Lieutenant Chester was sent up to Queensland’s finger tip to take charge of the settlement.

At that time the islands of Torres Strait were more or less open ter ritory, and a big pearl-shelling rush was responsible for some lively hap penings concerning which he had voluminous correspondence with the Colonial Secretary. Copies of these reports are in the old Somerset official letterbooks. New Guinea was less than 100 miles away. Chester immediately began to cast eyes in that direction, telling his superiors that something should be' done about control under British authority. As a step towards this, he acquired a small boat from a wreck, and sailed out into the Strait to have a look at things for himself.

The return of Frank Jardine left him temporarily without a job; but he took advantage of the chance to see more of New Guinea, and to estimate the possibilities of trade re lations. On a visit to Brisbane in 1872, he read a lengthy paper on NG to a large gathering. He recounted his own experiences and those of others. During the previous year, the first missionaries of the London Missionary Society had gone to New Guinea; and shortly after, Captain Moresby in HMS Basilisk was travel ling those waters, placing new names on the map, and incidentally follow

ing this up later by hoisting anotht flag—this time at Hayter Islam Chester was friendly with the mii sionaries; but his warmest missionaa association was with the Reveren James Chalmers (“Tamate”) wh joined the LMS staff in 1877. Th two men were like brothers, ii variably addressing one another £ “Tamate” and “Mamoose”, the latte being a name usually applied to Torres Strait chief.

The hoisting of the British flag at Poi Moresby in April 1888 is well-enoug; known. So is the name of the man wh performed the task; and subsequent ro pudiation by the British Government But most people have assumed that witl Chester this act of Empire-building wen no further than his carrying on instructions—little has been known of th man himself, or his avid interest in th then unclaimed territory of New Guines The act of repudiation has always bee 1 somewhat of a mystery. Apart from th averred desire not to offend a friendll Power, Germany, in the person of Princ Bismarck, then playing at heavs diplomacy in the disposal of NG, thi reasons may well have been as indicate; here: Horror that a fledgling Colony lib Queensland had taken the law into it own hands and had done the job wit; the minimum of fuss, and expense. N 1 sooner had the Imperial Governmen repudiated Queensland’s action than the: set about doing the same job, in theii own way. They chose their own man their own ships and their own method! but by that time Germany had addec that part of New Guinea we now cal the Trusteeship Territory to the Germai.

Empire. (See the story of Sir Pete; Scratchley in August PIM).

As one move towards New Guinea development. Chester attempted t< launch a “New Guinea Tradin.i Company” early in July, 1873. It! prospectus proposed a capital a £3,000 in 150 shares of £2O each There were to be two sections—f trading party and a mining expedi tion, the latter to be under commam of an ex-US army officer name* Bennett, with Chester in full charge The venture seems to have died af birth.

By 1875, owing to various changes in personnel, Chester was back again at Somerset as Police Magistrate, to direct the affairs of the outpost ano begin preparations for removing it to a more suitable site amongst th* islands, where the pearlers werr centred. Thursday Island was ultii mately selected by the authorities a:* the new headquarters, and accordf ingly, after necessary official build! ings had been erected, the Police Magistrate sailed across to his nev residence 30 miles away, and begar occupation in September, 1877.

At the time of the Somerset-J Thursday Island move, Queensland newspapers, stimulated by various

happenings and by the insistent de mands of Chester, began to stir up further interest in New Guinea. They looked to the Prince of Wales Islands (of which TI is the central island) as the place from where “we may attain to the peaceful acquisition of New Guinea.”

Chester had barely settled in when the Hon. John Douglas (then Premier

of Queensland) requested him to make a further exploratory trip— this time to the south-western section of Papua—to encourage friendly re lations with the little-known people there, and obtain samples of sago, nutmegs, ebony, or other articles of trade. The result was published by the Government in a 40-page booklet, printed in 1878, containing also a

mass of information and details ot another expedition a few months afterwards when Chester and Chalmers spent several weeks in vestigating the coast in the missionary* steamer Ellangowan, and making lengthy land journeys.

The report met with criticism in some quarters. One Southern news paper thought Chester’s picture was not rosy enough to justify Euro peans facing the prospect of settling: in such moist, low-lying country' peopled by bold and hostile natives.

“It repels rather than invites occupa tion” it declared, and smugly went: on to say— “We have no desire for the discovery of any Land of Promise; or Garden of Eden so close as tempt any of our population—already too small for proper development of: our own resources—to desert us for the new enticements. We have room: and to spare for all-comers for a century or two to come.” A different; opinion was expressed by another journal, however, in 1880, after the; publication of an article giving cogent reasons for the annexation of New Guinea without delay. Readers were asked to picture the prospect of a.

Russian man-o’-war landing an armed, party and seizing the remaining part of the island of which the Dutch had already claimed a big slice.

Several more years were wasted;

>wever until on a happy day in 1883, ieutenant Chester received an official jmmunication from Sir Thomas [ellwraith (Queensland Premier) lat he was to lead a party to Port Eoresby for the purpose of formally mexing British New Guinea, ■oudly the flag was run up on the ast of the little two-gun Govern ent cutter Pearl as Chester, a uple of ex-man-o’-war’s men as ew, and some others, sailed out of lursday Island harbour. He was ling (as he thought) with the action of the Home Government, take a most important step and ie that he had himself been urging r years.

The Pearl arrived at Port Moresby i April 3, 1883. Mr, Chester went hore, and acquainted the people at s mission station with the object his visit. The following morning, ten o’clock, the Police Magistrate lemnly hoisted the Union Jack at ; mission flagstaff. A salute of two ns followed from the Pearl, and J company gave loud cheers for the icen, who was now to be their ler. “I then,” says Chester, in his 3ort to the Chief Secretary, “in the ssence of the people, recognised ie Vagi as head crief of Moresby, d gave the flag into his charge, til such time as an official should sent to represent the Government. *. Lawes (missionary), kindly ex lined the meaning of the ceremony the people, and assured them that :y would remain in undisturbed ssession of their lands. An mi ssive prayer terminated the pro bings, after which about £5O worth trade was distributed to the heads families.”

After this the natives made the Jtomary present; and then the ropeans, with the native mission chers and their wives, and Boe gi, were entertained at a banquet Messrs. Lawes and Chalmers, at ich “Prosperity to the latest gem led to the British Crown” was ink. In due course the Pearl re ned jubilantly to Thursday Island, ithern papers printed sketches of annexation group round the flag' ff. fhe rest of the story is well known, r Majesty’s ministers, after recov ig from their first shock on being Drmed that a mere colonial police gistrate in a cutter little bigger n a fishing boat, had added a big tion of new land and a good many usands of part-civilised and com tely uncivilised natives to the Old .intry’s maternal care, debated the tter, and Mr. Gladstone in the use of Commons ponderously de *ed that the proceedings were null

and void. What Mr. Chester had to say about it when he heard of the decision is not on record, but may well be guessed.

But the Home Government was not altogether happy about events. In the same month that Gladstone had spoken (July, 1883), Mr. H. H.

Romilly, a man who had spent many years in the Eastern Pacific holding Government appointments, received a telegram from Lord Derby instructing him to proceed to Port Moresby.

He arrived in November, 1883.

Twelve months later, Commodore Erskine sailed into the port with an imposing squadron, and the official proclamation of a Protectorate was finally carried out, in a series of

picturesque ceremonies which appealed

to the native eye. Messrs. Lawes and Chalmers again giving a helping hand and tongue. Mr. Romilly was left in possession of the now accredited British New Guinea as

Acting-Commissioner, pending the

arrival of Sir Peter Scratchley.

Lieutenant Chester followed the succession of events with only half hearted satisfaction. He had wished to see the whole of the section un occupied by the Dutch under British colours. It was not until 1914 that he felt happy in the fulfilment of his long-cherished ideal. As he lay in a Brisbane hospital, nearing the end of his vigorously-active life, his son brought the news that Australian

troops had reclaimed that part of Nev Guinea which had been within thi area of his own flag-hoisting. . . H] whispered a fervent “Thank God!!

They were almost his last words.

A grave in Toowong Cemetery (Brisbane) carries on its headstoni the announcement that Henry Majoribanks Chester formally an nexed British New Guinea at th< direction of Sir Thomas McllwraitH on April 4, 1883.

Wiht his undoubted administrai live gifts and other qualifications! his forceful personality, his urg« for pioneering and his full appre: ciation of the glory of th* British flag, he has left a worthy name in the annals of North Aus*! tralian and New Guinea history. Th« old hands of the North recall “HMC r as a colourful figure in the army of Empire builders, whose exploit; should not be allowed to fade awav into the mists.