Robertson, Gilbert (1794 - 1851)

Summary

Gilbert Robertson migrated to Australia in 1822 and set up a farm. This venture failed and put him in debt and was jailed in the debtor's prison in Hobart Town. During his sentence he worked as superintendent on the government farm in New Town. Later he set up a farm in the Coal River District of Richmond and was Richmond's chief constable. In 1832 Robertson was dismissed from the police force and went on to edit and write for the Colonist newspaper. In August 1834 he set up his own paper which was Tasmania's first daily paper. However, in March 1835 Robertson was jailed for libel so the paper was published only weekly or semi-weekly.

Details

Chronology

1822

Life event - Migrated to Australia (Van Diemen's Land)

1824 - ?

Life event - Convicted and sent to the debtors' prison in Hobart Town

1825 - c. 1830

Career position - Superintendent of the government farm at New Town

1829

Career position - Leader of an expedition "against marauding Aboriginals"

1835 - 1844

Career position - Established True Colonist and Van Diemen's Land Political Despatch and Agricultural and Commercial Advertiser - Tasmania's first daily paper

1844 - 1846

Career position - Superintendent of Agriculture for Norfolk Island

Published resources

Book Sections

• Godfrey, Margery, 'Robertson, Gilbert (1794-1851)' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Douglas Pike, ed., vol. 2 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1967), pp. 384-385. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020339b.htm. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q24204974. Details
• 'Robertson, Gilbert (1794-1851)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1463516. Details