LOCKYER, Edmund (1784-1860)

founder of Albany, Western Australia

was born at Plymouth on 21 January 1784 and entered the army in 1803 (Aust. Ency.). He became a major in 1819 and came to Australia in 1825. He went up the Brisbane River in a boat during that year and in November 1826 was sent in command of a detachment of soldiers to King George's Sound to forestall the French government and establish a settlement there. He did so and was able to report that there was abundance of water, good timber, fish and game. The site of Albany was chosen, but when the settlement was transferred to the Swan River government in 1831 it was found that little progress had been made. Lockyer returned to Sydney in April 1827, shortly afterwards retired from the military service, and in 1828 was appointed surveyor of roads and bridges. This post was abolished by the home authorities in the following year. He then took up and worked a considerable area of land. Towards the end of his life he became sergeant at arms in the New South Wales legislative council, and subsequently usher of the black rod. He died while still in this position on 10 June 1860. His son, Sir Nicholas Colston Lockyer (1855-1933), entered the public service of New South Wales in 1868, rose to be chief commissioner of taxation and collector of customs, and, transferring to the Commonwealth service in 1901, was appointed assistant comptroller-general of customs. He became comptroller1er-general in 1910. He was a member of the interstate commission from 1913 to 1920 when he retired from the service. He did valuable work in connexion with repatriation. He died on 26 August 1933. He was created C.B.E. in 1918 and was knighted in 1926.

The Army List, 1826; Historical Records of Australia, ser. I, vols. XII to XV and XIX; J. S. Battye, Western Australia, a History; The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 June 1860 and 28 August 1933; The Argus, Melbourne, 28 August 1933.