19 Facts About William Jervois

In 1842, having been promoted to lieutenant the year before, William Jervois was sent to South Africa where he served as a brigade major.

William Jervois became Secretary of a Royal Commission set up on 20 August 1859 to examine the state and efficiency of British land-based fortifications against naval attack.

William Jervois went on to oversee the design of the resulting fortifications that became known as the Palmerston Forts.

William Jervois then lectured about iron fortifications, and inspected and provided advice regarding the defences of various British colonies including Gibraltar and the Andaman Islands.

William Jervois was raised to the rank of major general in 1877; he received a final promotion to lieutenant general in 1882.

William Jervois took office in Singapore on 8 May 1875, and served until 3 April 1877.

William Jervois arrived in South Australia on HMS Sapphire on 2 October 1877.

William Jervois arrived in the colony during a time of political crisis.

William Jervois resisted the pressure to dissolve parliament, and James Boucaut became Premier.

William Jervois' term coincided with unusually good rainfall and a massive agricultural expansion, including his own efforts to establish an irrigation scheme on the Murray River.

William Jervois laid the foundation stones of the University of Adelaide, the Institute and the Art Gallery, and commissioned a new vice-regal summer residence at Marble Hill.

William Jervois then served as Governor of New Zealand from 1883 to 1888.

William Jervois officiated at the opening of Auckland University College in 1883, declaring that it would be accessible to all New Zealanders, and recognised the service of nurses in the Zululand conflict, awarding a Royal Red Cross to a New Zealand woman for the first time.

William Jervois served as president of the New Zealand Institute and patronised many sporting institutions, including the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association.

William Jervois returned to New Zealand briefly in 1892, before being appointed the colonel commandant of the Royal Engineers the following year.

William Jervois died on 17 August 1897, at the age of 75, as a result of injuries sustained in a carriage accident, and was buried at Virginia Water, Surrey.

William Jervois received numerous honours for his military and diplomatic service.

William Jervois was invested Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1863, Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1874, and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1888.

William Jervois was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1888.