George Augustus Bennett

Captain George Augustus Bennett (6 January 1807 – 30 April 1845) was an English military engineer of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Board of Ordnance. He served in Corfu (1828–1832), on the Ordnance Survey of Ireland (1832–1841), as Commanding Royal Engineer in New Zealand (1842–1845) and first president of the Auckland Mechanics' Institute (1842–1845).

Early life Bennett, born 6 January 1807, was the second of three sons of William Bennett of Portsea, Hampshire, a major in the Corps of Royal Engineers, and Mary Early. William served at Fort Cumberland, Hampshire, and overseas at Nova Scotia commanding the 12th Company, Royal Sappers and Miners, Sicily in 1810 and 1812–1815,

Paternal grandfather, George Augustus Bennett, had served as an officer of the Royal Marine Force; great-grandfather, William Bennett, attained the rank of rear admiral in the Royal Navy. Maternal grandfather, James Early, was an officer of the 1st Royal Garrison Battalion; His brother, Frederick, was born in Ireland in or about 1816. Carrying on a family line of military service He remained there for six months and, after a short leave, was posted to the Mediterranean.

Corfu In 1828, he was stationed at Corfu, Ionian Islands, where fortifications were being repaired and constructed by a company of Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners. As the works at Corfu were too extensive for the garrison there, a smaller fort to command the anchorage had been devised for the island of Vido, which, constructed from 1825, would be finished by 1831–32.

Ireland Ordnance Survey In 1832 Bennett was assigned to the Ordnance survey of Ireland under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Frederick Colby, RE, and Lieutenant Thomas Aiskew Larcom, RE, and advanced to rank of lieutenant on 10 December. and with Lieutenant Henry Tucker, RE, took charge of the operations in County Louth from about 1834. Then, as Captain Robert Kearsley Dawson, RE, moved on to England in connection with the Reform Commission in 1835, Bennett took over his hill drawing role, superintending the hill-sketchers.

Contours

On Sunday, 1 April 1838, Bennett gave 4th Division over to Lieutenant St George Lyster, RE, and took charge of the Hill-Drawing Department, Statistics and Antiquities; a change of scene that he hoped would restore his health after the pressures of divisional work. Colby and Larcom briefed him at Phoenix Park, Dublin, in 1–2 April. Larcom was keen to introduce light and shade into drawing hills and was attempting it on the rail road map. Colby revealed his scheme for heights of hills or elevation by a series of contours at 50 ft each having a darker shade near the hilltop, which Larcom thought noble but impractical. A French engraver's example with houses, woods and other features worked into the shade with good effect was also shown, but trees were not distinct and Bennett disliked it. Colby reported to the Inspector General of Fortifications, 6 May 1840:

In the Cadastral Map of Ireland the altitudes marked are extremely numerous, and afford great assistance to the sketchers; still this information alone does not enable them to perfect sketches for definite use. Captain Larcom suggested running contour lines instrumentally at certain distances, as affording accurate data to regulate the detorication of hills.

In pursuit of the definite and useful map, Larcom instigated contouring in 1838, with Bennett specifically tasked with perfecting and implementing the new system. In mid-April, Bennett set the department's senior civil assistant, Charles Whybrow Ligar, to making a scale model from card in 50 ft contour heights which, quickly done, worked well. Having taken an office-residence at Armagh in April 1838, and inspected the civilian sketchers' work from Dungannon to Coleraine and the Giant's Causeway, he resolved that for efficacy and economy, the Royal Sappers and Miners must do the contour work. Settling in Armagh in early May he noted: "got all right and comfortable—shall now set to work—head aches as bad nearly as ever with eternal flushings well it will end one way or another—" The headaches and sore eyes continued, nevertheless, he worked through the method of instrumental contours and by the end of May had made a scale skeleton model of "Bendradagh" in 50 ft contour heights, and soon after cast a plaster model of it. He wrote on 29 May: I question whether if the contours are taken every 25 ft. above the sea by the instrument, there be anything left for the sketcher to do—It seems to me that these 25 ft contours put to the 1 inch scale will fill the sheet—If so, it becomes a matter of calculation, whether an active Sapper cannot contour with an instrument a square mile a day the present rate of sketching only—One most valuable desideratum for the improvement of the country & easily comprehended by all classes (the other only understood by initiated and useless "to the general"—These contours I think can also systematically be united with light and shade, a union of art and mechanism which would perfect & render simple what has hitherto been a system of hyeroglyphics.

New Zealand Stopovers The Lady Clarke arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, on 26 December 1841. After sightseeing trips to Newcastle and the river to Maitland, to Sydney, Parramatta, Windsor and a brief stay with Sir George and Lady Gipps, then to Wollongong where the hills, forest and rivers to Campbelltown caught his eye for picturesque landscape,

The Bristolian arrived at Kororāreka, Bay of Islands, on 15 February. With a little effort he located the non-existent towns of Victoria, and Russell, inspected Lugard's military works, then moved on to Auckland. On 5 September 1842 the Institute elected the Commanding Royal Engineer, George Bennett, as their president, along with his former senior civil assistant in Ireland and newly appointed Surveyor General, Charles Whybrow Ligar, as vice-president. The Acting Governor, Willoughby Shortland, accepted nomination as patron on 22 September. The Institute opened its library in rented cottage from 7:00 pm, 30 September 1842, with John Kitchen as librarian. By 1843 they could provide members with a selection of works by approved authors, and their president hoped the ongoing debates "will be instructive and engender a well directed taste for reading."

Tauranga Campaign of 1842

Following the death of the Governor, Captain William Hobson, RN, on 10 September 1842, Acting Governor Willoughby Shortland, RN, intervened in a Maori dispute of ancient origins with a view to end such conflicts. The Tauranga Campaign, December 1842 to January 1843, led by Major Thomas Bunbury, 80th Regiment, exposed the deficiency of military capacity in New Zealand, if not a better process for justifying such campaigns.

Bennett took opportunity to examine pā. Impressed by Maori knowledge of and practice in fortification and stratagem, his Report on the pahs of New Zealand, and the means necessary to attack them with plans and sections of some pahs to the Inspector General of Fortifications in 1843 conceived that without sufficient artillery, assaulting a strong pā would result in considerable loss to the assailants. In consequence of Bunbury's letter to the General commending the engineer's exertions, Bennett advanced to rank of 2nd Captain in September 1843.

Thorndon Barracks On 23 January 1844 he ventured to Wellington in the Colonial Brig Victoria, to arrange barracks for soldiers of the 65th Regiment. As a prison had been blunderingly built on part of the Mount Cook military ground in 1843, rendering it unfit for military barracks, Bennett gained authorisation from Governor Robert FitzRoy, having recently arrived in New Zealand and then in Wellington, to obtain a piece of the 10 acre Native Reserve at Thorndon Flat.

Thorndon Barracks required the triangular area within the fork and ditches of the Whakahikuwai and Tiakiwai streams, from Molesworth Street to a frontage on Hobson Street. Confident of a land grant, Bennett completed the barrack proposal by May 1844—estimate and plans of the site, hospital, hospital kitchen and privy, soldiers' barracks, officers quarters, officers' kitchen and officers' privy, guard room and cells, barrack sergeant's quarters and store—some being copies of Fort Britomart buildings. Like Albert Barracks in 1845, he would not have considered it justifiable to propose barrack buildings on ground not made over to the Board of Ordnance, and no permanent structures were built. In 1848 Lieutenant Collinson, RE, followed up the request for the Crown grant of the land to Ordnance but the Executive Council declined a grant, though allowed temporary use. Attorney General Daniel Wakefield's view was that reserved lands couldn't be granted without the consent of the Maori beneficially interested in them. The Great South Road from Newmarket, apparent since 1843, forced its way south as a military road from 1861.

Grange and gardens Bennett had purchased land about Auckland—suburban farms at Epsom and Mt Eden near Three Kings in 1842 and 1843, as well as a site for his new residence on the heights of Khyber Pass Road, Lot 7, Section 3, just over 5 acres, at the head of Grafton Gully / Glen Ligar in July 1843. There, with its commanding view over the harbour and islands, Government House and cemetery, he established Bennett's Grange, later reported as named Glenhead. The view was painted by several notable landscape artists—John Guise Mitford and the Reverend John Kinder in the 1840s and 1850s.

The newly formed Agricultural Society in Auckland held its first show on Tuesday, 19 December 1843: "The exhibition of Floral, Horticultural, and Farm Produce, was held in the large room of Hart's Hotel, and was in every respect highly creditable to the colony, and to this settlement in particular. Considering the very early stage of the agriculture of this settlement, the exhibition may be said to have exceeded the expectations of the most sanguine. The flowers from the garden of Lieutenant Bennet were exceedingly beautiful, and show how much the lovers of Flora may expect in such a delightful climate as this." "Mr. Bennett" was awarded the prize for the Flower Bouquet category. Many flowering plants, which he was the first to have in the Colony, went by his name. By October 1843 and late 1844, Bennett's cultivation of common flax, Linum usitatissimum, at his Auckland suburban farm and experiments in processing by boiling green flax with fullers earth, producing some very fine examples, caught the interest of The Southern Cross: "We understand Mr. Bennet is about adapting machinery to the after process of cleaning. We trust his experiments will succeed. Mr. Bennet has always manifested a praiseworthy interest in furthering the prosperity of the colony since he came amongst us."

The New-Zealand Festival In May 1844 about two or three thousand Maori from various tribes and remote districts peacefully assembled together for a week at Epsom, about three miles from Auckland town. Though The Southern Cross reported that the meeting was "for the purpose of still more cementing that friendship and good feeling which their now superior knowledge teaches to be essential to their comfort and happiness", Bennett noted that it was "for the purposes of a correro with the Governor—The natives wish to sell their land to whom they please, & the native chiefs wish to be governor over their own people with their own laws—how far this is applicable with English rule I leave for wiser heads."

Joseph Jenner Merrett's panorama of the event on Saturday 11 May 1844, The New-Zealand Festival, looking across the Market Road / Great South Road intersection to Mount Saint John, depicts the arrival of Governor Robert FitzRoy in naval uniform, followed by a military officer, Attorney General William Swainson, Colonial Treasurer Alexander Shepherd and others on horseback, with Maori chiefs and Europeans in procession along "Market Road" from Remuera. Colonel William Hulme and officers of the 96th Foot went on foot. "Each tribe occupied a separate portion of the ground, where temporary huts had been erected for their accommodation; and His Excellency visited each of them, shaking hands with the principal chiefs, and addressing them in short speeches, which were interpreted by the Chief Protector of Aborigines. After these proceedings were over, the natives performed a war dance in honor of His Excellency." Having seen Maori war dances once or twice, Bennett found it entertaining rather than frightful. They found 160 troops from New South Wales, camped at the Bay. The total force including Hazard's sailors and marines amounted to some 250 men, confident of being able to give Heke and followers a severe chastisement, even at his pā. FitzRoy, Hulme and Bennett thought differently.

FitzRoy asked Bennett to report on the roads to Kerikeri and Waimate. They were good in places but impractical for moving heavy artillery in others. Bennett also tried to draw local farmers' drays and bullocks into military service, but not without encountering their fear of revenge if they were to ever seen to be voluntarily involved. If the Government required them, the soldiers would take them, resolved the matter. Bennett had also observed that the country was "utterly impracticable for the evolutions of disciplined troops". FitzRoy's consultations with Maori and consequent solutions seemed to have helped. The Southern Cross wrote: "We do not apprehend anything serious from these war-like preparations. Our friends in the other colonies need have no fear for our safety."

Defence of Kororāreka

Heke had resumed agitation by felling Kororāreka's flagstaff again on 10 January 1845. On 23 January, in consultation with Hulme and Bennett, the Executive Council ordered a blockhouse be placed to protect the flagstaff reinstated in its original position on Flagstaff Hill. Perhaps aware of his possible casualty, Bennett signed his will on 25 January.

In the latter half of February, one of Bennett's transportable blockhouses was shipped to Kororāreka, with Graham, on HMS Hazard. Its components were brought ashore between 4:00–10:00 am on 17 February and carried up Flagstaff Hill by Hazard's crew, where it was erected by them over the next two days of squalls and fine weather. The flagstaff was taken up on 22 February, erected, ironclad, rigged on 28 February and 1 March, and painted on 5 March. Complete, the blockhouse flanked an ironclad flagstaff enclosed within a strong triangular palisade, all surrounded by a "V" ditch 16 ft wide x 12 ft deep and inaccessible scarp; all devised by Bennett to "puzzle John Heki to cut it down a fourth time." Then, in the early morning of 11 March 1845, the Battle of Kororāreka began. Bennett noted in his journal: without any concerted plan of operations Poor young Campbell having unfortunately left the Blockhouse (leaving only 3 men within) to dig some foolish trench some half mile off—allowed his post to be surprised—The 4 men were killed—on looking back & seeing the Bl. Ho. surrounded & in possession of a mass of natives he retired down the hill to a second Bl. Ho. made by the Civilians—& thus the flagstaff & key of the Position fell into John Heki's hands.

Rumour spread that Heke would attack Auckland, perhaps within a day or two; his forces generously estimated to be about two thousand men.

By late March Bennett was reporting very ill, fearing "getting worse every week". He had endured months of increasingly severe headaches but persevered. He turned out with the rest ready for action during a scare at 3:00 am, 1 April, but after half an hour, with nothing likely to happen and barely able to stand, he had to retire.

The Auckland Battalion of Militia moved to construct Fort Ligar, an earth redoubt with surrounding ditch and a Martello gun tower at its centre, on the western ridge in mid April. Surveyor General Charles Ligar had been appointed as their Lieutenant Colonel. Defended by two militia companies, it intended to provide further refuge and stores.

Death Captain George Augustus Bennett died about 11:00 am, Wednesday, 30 April 1845. Some thought had been given to a return to England, though he was deteriorating to general debility with some four hours of activity each day. Mrs Soall was unremitting in his care. The Reverend John Churton who'd visited that morning, imagined the cause to be a rapid swelling of the throat. Commander David Robertson-Macdonald, RN, HMS Hazard, severely wounded at Kororāreka, was also recovering there. but foundered in the depression that decade. The institute, with its library established under Bennett's presidency, passed to the Auckland City Council to form the Auckland Free Public Library in 1879. The merging of Auckland's territorial local authorities into one Auckland Council on 1 November 2010, reformed the public-library network into the largest in Australasia—Auckland Libraries.

St David's Presbyterian Church Elizabeth, daughter of James and Elizabeth Soall, inherited Bennett's property, Glenhead, in Khyber Pass Road. In 1901, she sold a section of it to the Presbyterian Church for the relocation of St David's Presbyterian Church in early 1902. In 1924, the Presbyterian Church purchased Glenhead to build a larger church for the growing congregation and as a war memorial to members who had died in the Great War. Bennett's house was replaced with the old wooden church. The foundation stone for the new brick church, known today as Kāhui St David's, was laid on Anzac Day 1927 and the opening dedication service held on 13 October.

The New Zealand Engineers were permitted to install within the church on 3 June 1928, a memorial tablet to 3 Field Company members lost in the war. The Engineers chose St David's for it being a soldiers' memorial church, its location and in respect to the Reverend William Gray Dixon, Minister of St David's, 1899–1910, who'd had been their chaplain, 1906–1910. The Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers have held an annual memorial service there since.

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