Captain Henry Waterhouse (13 December 1770 – 27 July 1812) was an English naval officer of the Royal Navy who became an early settler in the
Colony of New South Wales
The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...
, Australia. He imported to Australia the continent's first Spanish merino sheep, whose wool became one of the colony's best exports.
Early life
Henry Waterhouse was the eldest son born to William and Susanna Waterhouse (née. Brewer) at Westminster, London, England, on 13 December 1770.Parish Records of St. James Church, Westminster, 1723–1786. Family History Library, Salt Lake City. Micro Film reel #1042308 William was a page to
James Luttrell
Hon. James Luttrell ( 1751 – 23 December 1788) was an officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1775 to 1788.
Born into a prominent political fami ...
, under whom Henry served on , and .
New South Wales
In 1786, Waterhouse joined as a
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first governor of the Colony of New South Wales.
Phillip was educated at Greenwich Hospital School from June 1751 unti ...
. Waterhouse sailed to Australia with the
First Fleet
The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command ...
and helped establish the settlement at
Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove (Eora: ) is a bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, one of several harbours in Port Jackson, on the coast of Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney Cove is a focal point for community celebrations, due to its central Sydney locatio ...
. On 2 October 1788, ''Sirius'' was sent to pick up supplies from
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
, completing a circumnavigation on its return in March 1789. When the ship's third Lieutenant George Maxwell's behaviour became increasingly erratic and bizarre, he was discharged and Waterhouse was promoted to acting third Lieutenant.
Waterhouse was a member of the crew when ''Sirius'' was wrecked off
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...
. He returned to
Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove (Eora: ) is a bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, one of several harbours in Port Jackson, on the coast of Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney Cove is a focal point for community celebrations, due to its central Sydney locatio ...
on to become an aide to Governor Phillip. Waterhouse was present at the whale feast with Indigenous people at
Manly Cove
Manly is a beach-side suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is north-east of the Sydney central business district and is currently one of the three administrative centres of the local government area of Nort ...
; after Phillip was speared in the shoulder, Waterhouse snapped off the shaft and helped the Governor return to the boats. In 1791, Waterhouse returned to England with the rest of the crew of the ''Sirius'' on the ''Waaksamheyd''.
French Revolution
With the rest of ''Sirius'' crew, Waterhouse was acquitted at court-martial for the loss of the ship and, with a letter of recommendation from Governor Phillip, Waterhouse's promotion to Lieutenant was confirmed July 1792. He was posted to in 1792, was transferred to in 1793 and served in the battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794.
Return to New South Wales
In 1794, former Captain of ''Sirius'' John Hunter was appointed the new Governor of New South Wales. Hunter requested Waterhouse to be commander of one of the colony's new ships so on 25 July 1794, Waterhouse was promoted to commander of . In February 1795, ''Reliance'' sailed with the new Governor aboard, arriving in Sydney on 7 September 1795.
Waterhouse sailed to the Cape Colony in 1796 to procure livestock for New South Wales and returned to Australia with the colony's first merino sheep. He subsequently made several voyages to Norfolk Island and in 1800 was the first person to chart the Antipodes Islands.
Later life
In 1800, Waterhouse returned to Britain and was promoted to Captain on 25 October that year. He lived most of the rest of his life near
Rochester, Kent
Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about from London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rainham, Strood and Gillin ...
. Waterhouse died at his father's home in Smith Street, Westminster, and was buried on 5 August 1812 at
St John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given t ...
Waterhouse was witness to his sister Elizabeth's (born 14 June 1768) marriage to his friend and associate, naval surgeonGeorge Bass. Waterhouse never married but had an illegitimate daughter Maria Waterhouse (1791–1875), who was born in Sydney to convict Elizabeth Barnes (1767–1794). With the death of Barnes and his return to New South Wales, Waterhouse arranged for Maria to be sent to live with his father in London. She was taken to England by the Lieutenant Governor William Paterson and his wife.