Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/165

 Receiver-General and Commissioner of Stamps. He is also a member of the Legislative Council.

Embling, Thomas, M.R.C.S., L.S.A., is a native of Oxford, and was born in 1814. After embracing the medical profession, and becoming M.R.C.S. England, and L.S.A. London, he left for Australia in Oct. 1850, and after spending "Black Thursday" in Adelaide, S.A., reached Melbourne in Feb. 1851. Shortly after his arrival he was commissioned to overhaul the management of the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum; and having done this successfully, commenced the practice of his profession in Fitzroy, Melbourne, in 1853. In the following year he took a prominent part in the agitation for the redress of the gold-diggers' grievances, which culminated in the regrettable outbreaks at Ballarat and elsewhere. In 1855 Dr. Embling entered the Legislative Council as member for North Bourke, and represented Collingwood in the Assembly from 1856 to 1869, when he retired from political life. Dr. Embling aided in the start of the eight hours movement, and endeavoured to pass the Torrens (Land Transfer) Act through Parliament; but the measure was for the time rejected, though subsequently adopted on the initiative of Mr. Service. Dr. Embling was successful in obtaining a committee to inquire into the industries of the colony, which reported in favour of Protection; but it was several years before the present fiscal policy was adopted. Dr. Embling has long since retired from the practice of his profession.

English, Hon. Thomas, M.L.C., sometime Minister of Works, South Australia, was a member of the Legislative Council of that colony from 1865 to 1878 and from 1882 till his death, and was Commissioner of Public Works in the Government from Oct. 1865 to March 1866, and in the  Ministry from the latter date till May 1867. He died on Dec. 17th, 1884.

Erskine, Vice-Admiral James Elphinstone, sometime commodore on the Australian station, is the second son of the late James Erskine, of Cardross, Perthshire, and was born on Dec. 2nd, 1838. He entered the royal navy as a cadet in 1852, became sub-lieutenant in 1859, lieutenant in 1859, commander in 1862, captain in 1868, rear-admiral in 1886, and vice-admiral in 1891. In May 1880 he was appointed private secretary to Lord Northbrook on the latter's becoming First Lord of the Admiralty. He was commodore on the Australian station from June 1881 to 1884, and on Nov. 6th in the latter year hoisted the British flag at Port Moresby, and proclaimed the British protectorate over the south coast of New Guinea and the adjacent islands. Admiral Erskine was naval aide-de-camp to the Queen from Dec. 1882 to Jan. 1886, and was a Lord of the Admiralty from Feb. to August 1886. From Dec. 1888 to Dec. 1891 he was senior officer commanding on the coast of Ireland. In May 1892 Admiral Erskine wrote to the Times expressing his doubts as to whether under any circumstances the recruiting of Kanaka labour for the Queensland sugar plantations could be conducted with freedom from abuse and without depopulating the islands whence the supply was drawn. He married in 1885 Margaret Eliza, daughter of Rev. John Constable, of Marston Biggott, Somersetshire.

Evans, Hon. George Samuel, LL.D., one of the earliest English settlers in New Zealand and for some time a Minister of the Crown in Victoria, was admitted to the English Bar, and early became associated with the colonisation schemes. He decided to go out with the first party of settlers to Wellington (Port Nicholson), N.Z., under the auspices of Colonel William Wakefield, who had selected the site on Cook Straits in the previous year. He sailed from London in the Adelaide on Sept. 18th, 1839, and arrived at Port Nicholson with his family early in 1840, another eminent jurist, the late (q.v.), who however, held a secondary position to Dr. Evans, having previously landed from the Cuba. Colonel Wakefield had selected Petone as the site of the future capital of New Zealand, but there was a strong feeling amongst the emigrants that the site of the present city of Wellington was the preferable one. Colonel Wakefield was, however, obstinate until the arrival of Dr. Evans, who called a public meeting of the pioneer settlers, and used his oratorical powers with such effect that the popular feeling aroused compelled Colonel Wakefield to give way. Dr. Evans was 149