| Sir Harry Rawson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Harry Holdsworth Rawson 5 November 1843 Walton-on-Hill, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 3 November 1910 (aged 66) London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Naval Officer and politician |
Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, GCB, GCMG RN (5 November 1843 – 3 November 1910), is chiefly remembered for overseeing the British Benin Expedition of 1897 that burned and looted the city of Benin, now in Nigeria. No shame was attached to the event at the time, which amounted to a punitive expedition, and Admiral Rawson was appointed Governor of New South Wales, 27 May 1902 – 27 May 1909. The first naval officer since Captain Bligh to hold the post, he proved so popular that his term was extended.
Admiral Rawson was commander of British naval forces at the Cape of Good Hope at the time, and the Expedition was regarded in British circles largely as a stroke of disciplined and coordinated planning:
- "In twenty-nine days a force of 1200 men, coming from three places between 3000 and 4500 m. from the Benin river, was landed, organized, equipped and provided with transport. Five days later the city of Benin was taken, and in twelve days more the men were re-embarked, and the ships coaled and ready for any further service." (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911).
Rawson was also the commanding officer of the British forces in the Anglo-Zanzibar War, the shortest war in history, which lasted for 38 minutes on 27 August 1896. For this he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and a first class member of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar.
He was promoted admiral in 1903 and was appointed GCB (1906) and GCMG (1909). Survived by two sons and a daughter, Rawson died on 3 November 1910 in London after an operation for appendicitis.
The four male colleges of the University of Sydney now compete for the 'Rawson Cup.' This Intercollegiate Cup was donated in 1906 by Sir Harry Rawson when he was Governor of New South Wales. The colleges that compete for the cup are St John's College, St Andrew's College, Wesley College and St Paul's College.
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Earl Beauchamp |
Governor of New South Wales 1902–1909 |
Succeeded by The Lord Chelmsford |
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