AGL Shaw Lecture: La Trobe, Redcoats and the Mounted Rifles – Dr Andrew Kilsby

On 1st October 1839, the newly appointed Superintendent of the Port Phillip District, Charles La Trobe, came ashore in Melbourne for the first time.

He was greeted by William Lonsdale, who had been sent to the district as de facto superintendent, and Police Magistrate in late 1836.

Lonsdale, a recently retired officer of the 4th Regiment (King’s Own) had come to Port Phillip with a small ‘garrison’ of an Ensign and 30 men from the same regiment. He forged a close relationship with La Trobe over the coming years even though La Trobe was distinctly non-military. While neither had direct command of the ‘garrison’, which reported to HQ in Sydney, the soldiers had an important role in providing the ultimate, mostly symbolic, Imperial underpinning of La Trobe’s authority.

A Mounted Police detachment, although made up of soldiers on attachment from their regiments, did come under control of the Police Magistrate.

This presentation will describe the life and times of the Redcoats and the Mounted Police, and provide (good, bad and ugly) context to their presence in the District of Port Phillip until Separation in 1850.

Presented by Dr Andrew Kilsby.
Andrew is a professional historian and published author. His focus is military, business and biographical history. A graduate of RMC Duntroon he holds a PhD from UNSW at ADFA. A founder of Military History and Heritage Victoria Inc. in 2010, Andrew has also written numerous articles, convened and presented in military history conferences and arranged exhibitions, including two at the RHSV. His business publications have also achieved two RHSV Community History Award commendations. As the 1924-25 Fellow of the La Trobe Society, Andrew is investigating ‘La Trobe, Law and Order 1839-1854’.