Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/523

 the Hawke's Bay Militia in 1866, when he successfully led two hundred militia and volunteers at Omaranui, surrounded the gathering Hau Haus, who threatened destruction to the. settlement of Napier, and cut off or captured them almost to a man. In 1868 he conducted a campaign against the celebrated, who had just escaped from the Chatham Islands, and drove him and his followers into hiding. A month later he was placed in command of the West Coast force, which had met with some reverses, and had to be recruited and reorganised. For some considerable time Te Kooti kept the country in a state of alarm. His successes brought many wild spirits to his standard, and he placed his fortress at Ngatipa, a wooded mountain whose summit is about two thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea. It was said to be the strongest fortified post in the North Island. The massacre at Poverty Bay compelled the Government to send Colonel Whitmore to reduce this stronghold. After a siege of five days the place was taken on Jan. 3rd, 1869, and the enemy escaped with very severe loss. Returning to the West Coast, he led the colonial troops successfully from Kai Iwi to the Waitara, recovering all the country that had been abandoned and defeating Titokowaru's band in several engagements. Having completely pacified the West Coast, he was sent to put down the insurrection in the Uriwera mountains, where Te Kooti had once more raised a body of followers. This duty had been scarcely accomplished when a change in the Ministry occurred. Mr. defeated Mr., and at once removed Colonel Whitmore from the command of the troops in the field, just at the moment when complete success appeared close at hand. Te Kooti, being unpursued, was able to recover from the effects of defeat; and it was consequently eighteen months afterwards before he was again reduced to the same straits. In Oct. 1877 Colonel Whitmore joined Sir 's Ministry as Colonial Secretary and Defence Minister, retiring in Oct. 1879, with the rest of his colleagues. In 1870 he was created C.M.G., and in 1882 K.C.M.G. In 1863 he accepted a seat in the Legislative Council, which he still holds. Sir George was a member of the short-lived - Cabinet in August 1884, as a Minister without portfolio. The same combination coming back to power in Sept. of the same year, he was appointed commandant of the colonial forces and commissioner of the armed constabulary, with the rank of major-general, conferred for the first time in New Zealand on an officer of the colonial forces. Sir George married in 1865 Isabella, daughter of the late William Smith, of Roxeth, near Rugby, England.

Whittell, Horatio Thomas, M.D., was admitted M.R.C.S. (England) in 1848, and took his M.D. degree at Aberdeen University in 1858. Having emigrated to South Australia, he was appointed president of the Central Board of Health in August 1883, and coroner of the city of Adelaide in Oct. 1888.

Whitton, John, was born at Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1819. After many years' experience on the English railways he was appointed, on the recommendation of the President of the Board of Trade, Engineer-in-Chief of the New South Wales railways in March 1856, and subsequently had sole charge of the construction of railways, and also of railway surveys, in the colony; and for many years he was also in charge of the locomotive and permanent way branches. In 1890 Mr. Whitton retired, and was allotted a special pension in view of his lengthened and exceptional services. The amount was, however, considerably reduced by the Assembly on account of its unprecedented nature, which, it was feared, might give rise to similar claims in the case of other officers in the future.

Whitworth, Robert Percy, was born in England in 1831. He landed in New South Wales in 1855, and, after a varied experience, joined the reporting staff of the Empire in Sydney. He was subsequently in Queensland, and in 1864 became connected with the Melbourne press. He wrote a successful farce, entitled Catching a Conspirator, in 1867, and assisted in compiling a series of colonial gazetteers.

Whyte, Hon. James, who was the last surviving member of the first wholly elective Legislative Council of Tasmania, was the son of George Whyte, a captain in the Yeomanry Cavalry, by his marriage with Miss Walker, cousin of Thomas Pringle, the well-known South African 507