Jump to content

Christopher Rolleston

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Downsize43 (talk | contribs) at 07:04, 23 July 2019 (Add legacy section). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Christopher Rolleston
Christopher Rolleston
Registrar-General of New South Wales
In office
1855–1864
Auditor-General of New South Wales
In office
1864–1883
Preceded byWilliam Mayne
Succeeded byEdward Rennie
Personal details
Born(1817-07-27)27 July 1817
Watnall, Nottinghamshire, England
Died9 April 1888(1888-04-09) (aged 70)
OccupationCivil servant

Christopher Rolleston CMG (27 July 1817 – 9 April 1888) was an English-born colonial public servant in Australia.

Rolleston was born 27 July 1817 in Watnall, Nottinghamshire, the second son of Rev. John Rolleston and Dorthy Burdette.

A prominent colonial civil servant in New South Wales, Rolleston served as the Register-General of New South Wales (1855 – 1864). During his time as registrar general he was responsible for the launch of compulsory registration of births, deaths and marriages. He also served in a range of previous roles including Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Darling Downs (1842-1853), private secretary to the Governor of New South Wales, Sir William Denison (1855), as well as auditor-general (1864-1883).

His commercial appointments included director, European Assurance Society, the Mercantile Bank of Sydney and the Australian Gas Light Company, and a superannuation fund commissioner.

He served as the president and later a trustee of the Australian Club. For his lifelong service to colonial New South Wales he was appointed CMG in 1879.

Legacy

The town of Rolleston in Queensland is named for him.

Publications

  • Christopher Rolleston at the Australian Dictionary of Biography
  • Wikisource logo Works by or about Christopher Rolleston at Wikisource
  • Mennell, Philip (1892). "Rolleston, Christopher" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
Political offices
Preceded by
William Mayne
Auditor-General of New South Wales
1864–1883
Succeeded by
Edward Rennie