Arthur Charles Hamilton-Gordon, first Baron Stanmore (1829-1912) was born in London and served from 1854 to 1857 as a member of the House of Commons. Gordon served as Governor of Trinidad (1866-1870), Mauritius (1871-1874), Fiji (1875-1880), New Zealand (1880-1882) and Ceylon (1883-1890). From 1877 to 1882 he also served as High Commissioner and Consul-General for the Western Pacific.

The album, Newspaper Clippings concerning Sir Arthur Gordon 1881-1886, is catalogued at RBQ995 NEW in the Hallstrom Pacific Collection in the University of NSW Library. The cuttings are from the New Zealand press (NZ Herald, The Press, Lyttelton Times, Auckland Star, etc.) and are primarily concerned with Gordon’s arrival and swearing in as Governor, on 24th November 1880, and his intial tour of the country. Both New Zealanders and officials in the Pacific expressed considerable concern in the press that the duties of Sir Arthur Gordon’s concurrent positions, as Governor of NZ and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, could not be satisfactorily carried out at the same time. This concern was affirmed by the Colonial Office where the Secretary of State suggested in May 1881 that Gordon may have to relinquish the High Commission. Becoming increasingly mired in the controversy Gordon resigned his commission as Governor of New Zealand in 1882 and left the Pacific in September of that year. He became Governor of Ceylon in 1883. The cuttings include editorials, letters to the editor and miscellaneous articles relating to government and “the Maori question” in New Zealand. Also included are reports on Samoan matters. The album ends with reports of the Tarawera eruption in 1886.