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Charles La Trobe
Charles La Trobe (1801–1875)
Charles La Trobe was born in England was put in charge of the settlement of Port Phillip (now Melbourne, Victoria) by the British Government in 1839. In 1851, when the settlement was made into a colony with its own government, La Trobe became the first lieutenant-governor. At that time, gold was discovered in Victoria and many people rushed off to the goldfields, hoping they would become rich. This made it hard to get normal work done in the towns, which created great problems for La Trobe. During his time as lieutenant-governor of Victoria, La Trobe set aside large areas around Melbourne for parks.
La Trobe University in Victoria and the La Trobe Library of the State Library of Victoria are named after him. His picture also appears on stamps.
Charles La Trobe