The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Macarthur, Lieut.-General Sir Edward
Macarthur, Lieut.-General Sir Edward, K.C.B., was the eldest son of John Macarthur, of Camden Park, New South Wales, the virtual founder of the merino wool industry of Australia, by Elizabeth, daughter of R. Veal, of Bridge Rule, Devon, and was born at Bath in 1780. When only a year old he was taken to Parramatta, N.S.W. He entered the army in 1808, became lieutenant in 1809; served with distinction through the Peninsular War, and accompanied his regiment (the 39th) to Sicily, Canada, Spain, and France. He became captain in 1829, major in 1836, and after some time spent in the Lord Chamberlain's department, served on the staff in Ireland from 1837 to 1841, when he became lieut.-colonel, and was gazetted Deputy Adjutant-General in Australia. In 1854 he became colonel, and the next year was appointed Commander of the Forces in the Australian Colonies, in which capacity he administered the government of Victoria during the interregnum which followed on the death of Sir Charles Hotham, from Jan. to Dec. 1856. Having become lieut.-general in 1856, he was appointed colonel of the 100th Foot in 1862. Sir Edward resigned the command of the Australian forces to General Pratt in 1866.[1] He was created C.B. in 1837 and K.C.B. in 1862. He married Sarah, third daughter of Lieut.-Colonel William Smith Neill, of Muir, Ayrshire, and sister of Brigadier-General Neill, who was killed at the siege of Lucknow, who survived him. Sir Edward died in London on Jan. 4th, 1872.
- Annotations
- ↑ The entry for Pratt states 1860; the Australian Dictionary of Biography entry for Pratt has 1859. (Wikisource contributor note)