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Henry Charles (Harry) Prinsep (5 September 1844–20 July 1922) was Chief Protector in the sub-department of Native Affairs in Australia.
Life
He was born on 5 September 1844, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. His parents were Charles Robert Prinsep and his wife, Louisa Anne Prinsep, née White.
He visited his late father's estate of Belvedere estate, Western Australia, in 1866.
He married Charlotte Josephine Bussell on 26 February 1868 and took over management of the estate.
Prinsep was made Chief Protector in the newly created sub-department of Native Affairs in 1898, with one assistant. Prinsep was genuinely concerned about the welfare of the Aboriginal people, but he was thwarted by lack of staff, and the Aborigines Act (1897), which left him powerless to alleviate their ill-treatment and neglect. The Act was later found to be invalid for limiting spending on Aboriginal welfare to five thousand pounds per annum rather than the 1% of government revenue set out in the constitution. (1% of government revenue was far more than £5000 per annum because of gold mining) The Act was replaced in 1906 as recommended by the 1905 Roth royal commission on the condition of Aborigines.
He died at age 77 on 20 July 1922 in Busselton, Western Australia, Australia.
References
- Staples, A. C. Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University – via Australian Dictionary of Biography.