Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/145

This page has been validated.
Der]
DICTIONARY OF AUSTRALASIAN BIOGRAPHY.
[Des

Haultain, Lieut.-Col. de Quincey continuing as military secretary. Subsequent to the termination of the war in the Auckland province, he lived principally in the country till the year 1889, when, the office of Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives having become vacant, the appointment was conferred on him by the Speaker.

Derham, Hon. Frederick Thomas, ex-Postmaster-General, Victoria, son of Thomas Plumley Derham and Sarah his wife, is a native of Bristol, England, was born on Jan. 8th, 1844, and arrived in Victoria in 1856. He is a member of the well-known firm of Swallow & Derham, formerly Swallow & Ariell, biscuit manufacturers, and was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly for Sandridge, now Port Melbourne, in Feb. 1883, being re-elected at the general elections in Feb. 1886 and March 1889. He was sworn of the Executive Council on Feb. 20th, 1886, on his accepting the office of Postmaster-General in the Gillies-Deakin Government—a post which he held till August 1890, when he resigned. Whilst at the head of the Victorian Post Office he was instrumental in introducing a number of valuable reforms. Mr. Derham married Miss Frances D. Swallow. At the general election in April 1892 Mr. Derham was defeated at Port Melbourne, and is now out of Parliament.

Derrington, Edwin Henry, was member for Victoria in the Legislative Assembly of South Australia in 1872-3, and unsuccessfully contested Gumeracha in 1887. He was Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Ayers Ministry from Jan. to March 1872. Mr. Derrington was born in Birmingham, England, and for many years was connected with journalism in Victoria and South Australia. He resides at Kensington, S.A.

Deshon, Edward, Auditor-General, Queensland, was born at Belgaum, Bombay Presidency, in 1836, and educated at Bath Grammar School He became ensign in the 68th Light Infantry in June 1854, and was afterwards promoted to a lieutenancy, serving with his regiment at the siege and fall of Sebastopol from Nov. 1st, 1854, to the end of the war. Mr. Deshon was Instructor of Musketry to the 68th Light Infantry from Nov. 1857 to Oct. 1861, and passed the competitive examination for admission to the Staff College in 1861. In that year he sold his commission, and went to Queensland in 1862, where he became manager of the Caboolture Cotton Company, and the following year was accountant to the Moreton Bay Savings Bank. From 1865 to 1872 Mr. Deshon served as Pay and Revenue Clerk in the Treasury, being appointed in the latter year travelling inspector in the Audit Office—a post which he filled until Jan. 1st, 1879, when he became chief clerk of the Public Lands Department, and Under Secretary on Dec. 1st, 1882. On Jan. 1st, 1885, he received the appointment of member of the Land Board, under the provisions of the new Land Act, and was appointed to his present office in Dec. 1889.

Des Vœux, Major Charles Hamilton, formerly a Major in the Bengal Staff Corps, was appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant General of the Queensland Defence Force in Feb. 1884. In May 1889 he received the additional appointment of Extra Aide-de-Camp to his Excellency Sir Henry Norman, Governor of Queensland. He is now in India.

Des Vœux, Sir George William, K.C.M.G., third son of the late Rev. Henry Des Vœux, and brother of Sir Henry Dalrymple Des Vœux, 5th Bart., of Indiaville, Queen's County, was born in 1834, and educated at the Charterhouse and Balliol College, Oxford. He was called to the bar of Upper Canada in 1861; was Stipendiary Magistrate at British Guiana from 1863 to 1869; Administrator of the Government and Colonial Secretary of Lucia 1869-77; Lieut.-Governor of Trinidad in 1877; Lieut.-Governor of Fiji from June 1878 to Sept. 1879, during the absence of Sir Arthur Gordon; Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahamas from May to August 1880; of Fiji from Jan. 1880 to Dec. 1886; of Newfoundland from 1886 to 1887; and of Hong Kong from 1887 to 1891, when he retired. In 1880, whilst Governor of Fiji, Sir William was Assistant-High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, and from 1882 to 1885 acting High Commissioner. He was created C.M.G. in 1877 and K.C.M.G. in 1883. Sir William married, in 1877, Marion Denison, daughter of Sir John Pender, K.C.M.G. In 1883, whilst Governor of Fiji, Sir William attended the Intercolonial Conference held in

129
K