Certainly one of the most esteemed people in Tasmania’s history would be Sir Richard Dry. A philanthropist, he was a humane and understanding man. Although he knew great wealth the general community loved him. A large cortege followed his funeral procession from Hobart to his final resting place at Hagley village on the island’s north west coast. At every town on the way, the cortege stopped so that the locals would pay their respects.
Sir Richard had a number of achievements; he was, for an example, the first Speaker of the Legislative Council. He was also the first Tasmanian to be knighted and the first Tasmanian-born Premier.
His term of office saw some of his popularity wane, as he had to tackle difficult decisions and refrain from endorsing popular ones. However, the diminishing of his esteem by the people was short lived.
Dry existed through some amazing times in the colony’s history, from being a raw and vulgar society to one of self-government and in general, despite economic set-backs, prosperous. He involved himself vigorously in the convict anti-transportation movement. Although he was not a founding member of the movement, he soon became one of its main leaders. Transportation finally ceased in May 1853.
His is an amazing story. A son of a convict he rose to the highest office in the colony.
His father, also Richard, was son of a Irish famer of County Wexford. Although a Protestant he got involved with the ‘troubles’ of 1798 and was sentenced to transportation for political reasons. He arrived, as a convict after a time on Norfolk Island, in 1807 to Port Dalrymple and was pardoned in 1809. He had already married Annie Maugham (a free woman) in Sydney. He received the admiration and favour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie who granted him 500 acres of land adding to what already he had. Richard senior was to become one of the leading landowners in the colony, having more than 12,000 acres in the north of the colony, naming his main property, where he lived, Quamby, an aboriginal word meaning, “a place to camp”.
Son Richard was born in June 1815 at “Elphin Farm”, near Launceston. Eventually there would be five children in the family. His father believed strongly in providing a sound education for his children. “Dickie” – as Richard was called – was sent to various private schools in the colony. Richard senior was a wealthy man and decided to send Dickie off to England, India and Mauritius, to broaden his knowledge and to round off his education. Just before attaining 21 years of age, he returned to rural, tranquil Tasmania.
It was planned that Richard would manage the property Quamby with father, but he also took a keen interest in local politics and in the social life of the colony. He became a good sportsman. He attracted the eye of the Governor, Sir John Franklin, who made Richard a Commissioner of Peace when he was only 22 years old. Six years later, his father died (his mother was already dead) leaving his son ownership of his estate with its many buildings and assets.
Richard Dry was now a wealthy, admired young man who clearly had a brilliant future.
Governor Franklin had gone and was replaced by Governor Sir John Eardley-Wilmot who recommended that Dry be a ‘non official’ member of the Legislative Council, thus starting off his political career. Eardley-Wilmot came when all the Australian colonies were experiencing financial hardship. This was somewhat made worse when the Mother Country informed the colonial governments that they must share a greater cost of the convict system. Convict transportation had arrived to Van Diemen’s Land (VDL) in 1803 and was continuing at a high rate. Eardley-Wilmot’s government faced bankruptcy.
To raise funds to service this nightmare, the Governor in 1845 proposed increased taxes on tea, sugar and other imported necessities. Even though there was strong opposition he felt he had little option, but to push through legislation. This prompted uproar with Richard Dry a main opponent of the Bill. Despite an appeal to London, the Colonial Office judged that the Governor had every right to implement such legislation.
The result was that six non-official members were dismissed from the Council, including Dry. Nonetheless, their action had the admiration of the general free population and the press dubbed them as the “Patriotic Six”. Dry, returning to Launceston, was treated as a hero. Eventually Eardley-Wilmot was dismissed on the orders from London* and was replaced by Sir William Denison. Dry and his colleagues were able to be reappointed to the Legislative Council. They had won their case when the British Government withdrew their plan not to pay for the upkeep of the convict system.
The issue did bring to the fore the matter of convict transportation and the success of the “Patriotic Six” heralded the start of its demise. Dry had sided with those opposing transportation and showed that he was a man of principle and leadership.
Until the cessation of transportation, VDL was to receive up to 70,000 convicts to its shores from 1803 to 1853. In the mid 1840s, convicts were now being received not just from Britain, but also from Sydney when transportation stopped to the colony of NSW. In 1848 The Australasian League was formed, with its aim, the complete cessation of transportation. Yet there was major opposition, despite public endorsement of the League. The Governor, Sir William Denison, was supportive of continual transportation as it provided cheap labour for pubic works and on the farms. He also saw a massive labour shortage if it came to a sudden end.
Public outcry against transportation was gaining momentum. While Dry was not an original signatory to the League, he soon took a leading role in its operations. He, being one of the leading colonists, gave much weight to its ultimate success.
The first meeting of the League was held at the Cornwall Hotel Launceston with James Cox, a large landowner, in the Chair. Hobart Town soon followed suit. Still, the convicts came with 21 convict ships arriving in the year of 1848. The League was well organised and with the support of many influential colonists it became quite powerful.
In 1851 the first elections ever were held in VDL. The Legislative Council provided twenty four seats, sixteen of which were to be elected by the people and eight nominated by the Crown. The Australasian League put up nineteen candidates out of the twenty seven that stood. In all, only four candidates stated their support for the continuation of transportation. Dry stood for the seat of Launceston. On the day of the election his supporters crowded in and outside of the Cornwall Hotel and press statements report that there were thousands. A scuffle broke out during the time. The following day a dinner was held in Dry’s honour, but not all were happy with his election. While eating their dinner a volley of stones came through the windows, striking the walls and ceiling and falling on the tables breaking much of the crockery.
The successful election of League members and supporters to the Legislative Council, saw such outstanding colonists as Michael Fenton, (landowner and historian); Thomas Daniel Chapman (later Premier), major graziers such as Joseph Archer, James Cox, W. Archer and R.G. Kermode.
In 1852, Governor Denison was defeated on the issue when the Council voted successfully for its cessation. London endorsed the will of the colonists. By this time, the last batch from England had already left, arriving in 1853. Now that this scourge had been abolished, it was time to change the name from Van Diemen’s Land to Tasmania and establish full Responsible Government. (both in 1856). In 1853, Richard had married Clara Meredith.
The time leading up to his Premiership in 1866, Dry lived a full life, although not an entirely healthy one. In 1855 he left for England after selling much of the land of Quamby and other assets such as his library and furniture. He was in England for some time, long enough to be knighted by Queen Victoria in May 1858. He was the first colonial born Tasmanian to receive this honour. In his absence he was nominated for a northern seat in the new House of Assembly in the Tasmanian Parliament. However, he did not stand.
In 1860 he and Clara returned to Tasmania and he was successfully elected to the Legislative Council, now the Upper House. He returned with zeal for the development of railway and supported the first line in Tasmania, the Launceston-Deloraine scheme.
Dry became Premier, on the 21st November 1866. His ministry was the smallest since the introduction of Responsible Government and probably has been ever since. Despite Dry’s great personal popularity the decisions he had to make saw him loose some support. Business activity was low throughout the colony and there was a need to cut government expenditure. Dry and his ministers led the way when they accepted a reduction in their salary. Even though Dry was for railway expansion at that point of time he felt the colony could ill afford to finance the railway line between Hobart and Launceston. Therefore he opposed it and endured a great deal of criticism. The strain of office began to show and it was quite clear he was a very sick man. Sir Richard Dry died 1st August 1869. The author believes this is another ‘first’ for Dry, although a sad one, being the first Tasmanian Premier to die in Office.
Dry died at his Hobart home of Holbrook, Davey Street. His wife survived him. There were no children.
On the morning of the funeral procession to Hagley to be buried in his church of St Mary’s CofE businesses in Hobart were closed. The Governor, Charles Du Cane, led the procession to the outskirts of the city and from there the funeral proceeded slowly to Launceston, stopping at the towns on the way, so that the people could offer their respects. The cortege finally arrived at Hagley, where Dry was buried inside the church. In 1871 a chancel was build over the grave. Lady Dry died in May 1904 in England, where she had gone to live after his death.
Sir Richard Dry was one of the most popular, admired and outstanding men of Tasmania.
* Sir Eardley-Wilmot after being dismissed retired into private life remaining in VDL. He died February 3rd 1847 and was buried with full honours in Hobart.
Reg. A. Watson has written on a number of early Tasmanian politicians. Sir Richard Dry is one that he admires. “His service was truly to Tasmania and to the people,” he states. “Dry had to make difficult and unpopular decisions as he thought necessary. Nonetheless, he is greatly remembered for his dedication to the Office and to the independent colony of Tasmania.”
