Skip to main content

Michael Roe, John Lefroy: Tasmania's almost-forgotten, almost-Governor

Published: Wednesday, 17 June 2020

Michael Roe reveals the career of Sir John Lefroy in Tasmania. Sir John Henry Lefroy spent thirteen months as Administrator of Tasmania in 1881-1882. A military man, administrator and scientist, he was director of magnetically observatories on St Helena and in Canada between 1840 and 1853. Later, he was governor of Bermuda during a turbulent time in that colony’s history. Although he only spent a short time in Tasmania he was a very popular administrator who travelled widely in the colony. He died in England in 1890.

Michael has been a member of THRA since 1952 and served many years on the committee between 1961 and 2015, and was made a life member in 1990. An acclaimed historian he retired as Professor of History from the University of Tasmania in 1996. Michael has published numerous works of history and continues to take the minutes of the association’s monthly lecture meetings.