Philip Henry Nind (7 April 1831 – 9 March 1896) was an English

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

and gold commissioner in colonial

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. He was also a politician in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia, where he was a

Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly This is a list of members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, the state parliament of Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivis ...

Early life

Philip Henry Nind was born in

Wargrave Wargrave () is a historic village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. The village is primarily on the River Thames but also along the confluence of the River Loddon and lies on the border with southern Oxfordshire. The village has many old ...

, Berkshire on 7 April 1831, the son of Rev. Philip Henry Nind and his wife Agnes Bussell. He attended

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and Christ Church, Oxford where he was a proficient rower. In the 1852

Boat Race Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

, he rowed No 3 in the winning

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

boat stroked by J W Chitty. At Henley Royal Regatta, he won

Silver Goblets The Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless pairs at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing club A rowing club ...

in 1852 partnering H R Barker and was also a member of the winning Oxford

four 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

in the Stewards' Challenge Cup. In 1853 Nind was a member of the winning Oxford eight in the

Grand Challenge Cup The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and best-known event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing ...

at Henley and was also again in the winning Oxford four in Stewards' Challenge Cup. He was a member of the crew in the winning Oxford Boat in the 1854 Boat Race.

British Columbia

In 1860 Nind took the position of Gold Commissioner and JP for Cariboo,

as the

Cariboo Gold Rush The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Colony of British Columbia, which later joined the Canadian province of British Columbia. The first gold discovery was made at Hills Bar in 1858, followed by more strikes in 1859 on the Horsefly Rive ...

was just getting under way.

William Pinchbeck William Pinchbeck (1831 – July 1893) was one of the original settlers in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. He was a member of the British Columbia Provincial Police and owned a Roadhouse (facility), roadhouse and many other propert ...

accompanied Nind to Williams Lake to create a local government and bring law and order to the area. Nind had originally considered

Fort Alexandria Alexandria or Fort Alexandria is a National Historic Site of Canada on the Fraser River in British Columbia, and was the end of the Old Cariboo Road and the Cariboo Wagon Road. It is located on Highway 97, north of 100 Mile House and south of ...

for this purpose but chose Williams Lake instead as it was at a junction of two main pack trails: one from the

Douglas Road The Douglas Road, a.k.a. the Lillooet Trail, Harrison Trail or Lakes Route, was a goldrush-era transportation route from the British Columbia Coast to the Interior (NB another route known as the Lillooet Trail was the Lillooet Cattle Trail, which ...

and another through the

Fraser Canyon The Fraser Canyon is a major landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley. Colloquially, the term "Fraser ...

. While stationed in the Cariboo Nind wrote voluminous letters and reports to

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

governor James Douglas in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, telling him about the many developments taking place in the district. In 1861 Nind had a government house built and requested the construction of a jail. By the middle of the year he was severely overworked causing him insomnia and a nervous twitch, In October he requested leave and in December went to England. It took three men to replace him in the work he had been doing. He was succeeded as gold commissioner by

Thomas Elwyn Thomas Elwyn (Wiktionary:circa, c. 1837 – 11 September 1888) was a Great Britain, British soldier, police officer and Gold Commissioner, gold commissioner in colonial Colony of British Columbia (1858–1866), British Columbia. Elwyn was bo ...

until Elwyn resigned later in the year through conflict of interest in having his own claim. Nind returned to British Columbia with his new wife in 1863. When the gold escort was temporarily revived in 1863 Elwyn was made second in command to Nind Nind was moved around from one backwater post to another until he resigned in 1866.

Queensland, Australia

In 1869 Nind and his wife moved to Queensland, Australia. He was for a time in North Queensland where he was active in exploration. On 4 October 1873 he accompanied

George Elphinstone Dalrymple George Augustus Frederick Elphinstone Dalrymple (6 May 1826 – 22 January 1876) was a colonist, explorer, public servant and politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. He founded the towns of Bowen and Cardwell, and pioneer ...

and Sub-Inspector Robert Johnstone in entering the Glady's River. In conjunction with Mr Fursden, Nind established a farm on the

Pimpama River The Pimpama River is a perennial river located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast local government area and covers an area of . Course and features The Pimpama River rises in the Darli ...

of about 2000 acres with about 80 acres of sugarcane. He became a Member of the

Queensland Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly h ...

representing the electorate of Logan from 28 November 1873 to 27 May 1874 and from 8 June 1874 to 3 April 1875. The first election was declared void. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly by a very small majority.

Later life

In 1876 Nind returned to England as an emigration lecturer appointed by the Queensland Government. He died on 9 March 1896 at Lashlake House,

Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the county border wi ...

, Oxfordshire, England aged 64. Nind Street in

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nind, Philip Henry 1832 births 1896 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford English male rowers Gold commissioners in British Columbia Pre-Confederation British Columbia people Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 19th-century Australian politicians

Early life

British Columbia

Queensland, Australia

Later life

See also

References