Burke & Wills Web
www.burkeandwills.net.au
The online digital research archive of expedition records
© 2020

In 1860, when the Burke and Wills Expedition departed Melbourne, the colony of Victoria had responsible government but still reported directly to the Imperial Governement in Westminster.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Kingdom.

Monarchy

Alexandrina Victoria, born 24 May 1819,
was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837,
and Empress of India from 1 January 1877,
until her death on 22 January 1901.

Prime Ministers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom

22 January 1828 -22 November 1830 The Duke of Wellington Tory
22 November 1830 - 16 July 1834 The Earl Grey Whig
16 July 1834 - 17 November 1834 The Viscount Melbourne Whig
17 November - 1834 9 December 1834 The Duke of Wellington (caretaker) Conservative
10 December - 1834 18 April 1835 Sir Robert Peel Conservative
18 April 1835 - 30 August 1841 The Viscount Melbourne Whig
30 August 1841 - 30 June 1846 Sir Robert Peel Conservative
30 June 1846 - 23 February 1852 The Lord John Russell (afterwards PM as Earl Russell) Whig
23 February 1852 - 19 December 1852 The Earl of Derby Conservative
19 December 1852 - 6 February 1855 The Earl of Aberdeen Peelite/ Coalition
6 February 1855 - 20 February 1858 The Viscount Palmerston Whig
20 February 1858 - 12 June 1859 The Earl of Derby Conservative
12 June 1859 - 18 October 1865 The Viscount Palmerston Liberal
29 October 1865 - 28 June 1866 The Earl Russell (previously PM as Lord John Russell) Liberal

Colonial Secretary / Secretary of State for the Colonies
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Colonial-secretary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_War_and_the_Colonies

The Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies. Previously those responsibilities had fallen to the Secretary of State for the Southern Department, who was responsible for Southern England, Wales, Ireland, the American colonies, and relations with the Catholic and Muslim states of Europe.

In 1782, following the loss of the American colonies, the office was abolished, and its duties given to the Home Secretary. In 1794 a new office was created for Henry Dundas, the Secretary of State for War, who now took responsibility for the Colonies, and in 1801 the position was renamed " Secretary of State for War and the Colonies". The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet level position responsible for the army and the British colonies (other than India). The Department was created in 1801. In 1854 military reforms led to the split into the separate offices of Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Colonial Secretaries
Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough February 27, 1768 - August 27, 1772
William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth August 27, 1772 - January 25, 1776
Lord George Sackville-Germain January 25, 1776 - March 8, 1782
Welbore March 8, 1782 - July 17, 1782
Office abolished in 1782.

Secretary of State for War
Henry Dundas 1794-1801
Office renamed in 1801.  

 
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies  
Robert Hobart, 4th Lord Hobart March 17, 1801 - May 12, 1804
John Jeffreys Pratt, 2nd Earl Camden May 14, 1804 - July 10, 1805
Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh July 10, 1805 - February 5, 1806
William Windham February 5, 1806 - March 25, 1807
Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh March 25, 1807 - November 1, 1809
Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool November 1, 1809 - June 11, 1812
Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst June 11, 1812 - April 30, 1827
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich April 30, 1827 - September 3, 1827
William Huskisson September 3, 1827 - May 30, 1828
Sir George Murray May 30, 1828 - November 22, 1830
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich November 22, 1830 - April 3, 1833
Edward Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, Lord Stanley April 3, 1833 - June 5, 1834
Thomas Spring Rice June 5, 1834 - November 14, 1834
The Duke of Wellington
(served as a Secretary of State pro tem)
November 15, 1834 - December 15, 1834
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen December 20, 1834 - April 8, 1835
Charles Grant, 1st Baron Glenelg April 18, 1835 - February 20, 1839
Constantine Henry Phipps, 1st Marquess of Normanby February 20, 1839 - August 30, 1839
Lord John Russell August 30, 1839 - August 30, 1841
Edward Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, Lord Stanley September 3, 1841 - December 23, 1845
William Ewart Gladstone December 23, 1845 - June 27, 1846
Henry Grey, 3rd Earl Grey July 6, 1846 - February 21, 1852
Sir John Pakington February 27, 1852 - December 17, 1852
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle December 28, 1852 - June 10, 1854
Office renamed in 1854.  

 
Secretary of State for the Colonies
Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet June 12, 1854 - February 8, 1855
Sidney Herbert February 8, 1855 - February 23, 1855
Lord John Russell February 23, 1855 - July 21, 1855
Sir William Molesworth, 8th Baronet July 21, 1855 - November 21, 1855
Henry Labouchere November 21, 1855 - February 21, 1858
Edward Henry Stanley, Lord Stanley February 26, 1858 - June 5, 1858
Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton June 5, 1858 - June 11, 1859
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle June 18, 1859 - April 7, 1864
Edward Cardwell April 7, 1864 - June 26, 1866
Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon July 6, 1866 - March 8, 1867
Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville,
3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
March 8, 1867 - December 1, 1868
Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville December 9, 1868 - July 6, 1870

First Lord of the Treasury
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Lord_of_the_Treasury

The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, usually but not always the Prime Minister. Beginning in the 17th century, the Treasury was frequently entrusted to a commission, rather than to a single individual, and after 1714, it was always in commission. The commissioners were referred to as Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and given a number based on seniority. Eventually, the First Lord of the Treasury came to be seen as the natural head of any ministry, and, from Robert Walpole on, began to be known, unofficially, as the prime minister.

First Lord of the Treasury
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne July 16 - November 17, 1834
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington November 17 - December 10, 1834
Sir Robert Peel December 10, 1834 - April 18, 1835
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne April 18, 1835 - August 30, 1841
Sir Robert Peel August 30, 1841 - June 30, 1846
Lord John Russell June 30, 1846 - February 23, 1852
Edward Geoffrey Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby February 23 - December 19, 1852
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen December 19, 1852 - February 6, 1855
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston February 6, 1855 - February 20, 1858
Edward Geoffrey Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby February 20, 1858 - June 12, 1859
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston June 12, 1859 - October 18, 1865
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell October 29, 1865 - June 28, 1866
Edward Geoffrey Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby June 28, 1866 - February 27, 1868
Benjamin Disraeli February 27 - December 3, 1868

Lord Priviy Seal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Privy_Seal

The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is one of the traditional sinecure offices in the British Cabinet. Originally, its holder was responsible for the monarch's personal ("privy") seal (as opposed to the Great Seal of State, which is in the care of the Lord Chancellor).

Lord Privy Seal
1830-1833 John George Lambton, 1st Baron Durham
1833-1834 Frederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon
1834 George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle
1834 Constantine Henry Phipps, 2nd Earl of Mulgrave
1834-1835 James Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 1st Baron Wharncliffe
1835-1840 John William Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon
1840-1841 George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon
1841-1842 Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
1842-1846 Walter Francis Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch
1846 Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington
1846-1852 Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 2nd Earl of Minto
1852 James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury
1853-1855 George Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
1855-1858 Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby
1858 Ulick John de Burgh, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde
1858-1859 Charles Philip Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke
1859-1866 George Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
1866-1868 James Howard Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury
1868-1870 John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
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www.burkeandwills.net.au Burke & Wills Web The digital research archive of expedition records
© 2020, Dave Phoenix