William Henry Norman

William Henry Norman (1812–1869) was a sea captain in Australia. As commander of HMVS Victoria, he engaged in the First Taranaki War in New Zealand and the search for explorers Burke and Wills.

Early life William Henry Norman was born in March 1812 in Upnor, Kent, England. He entered the mercantile marine service and became a master mariner.

Marine commander Norman was captain of , a vessel owned by Captain Farquharson for nine years. From 1848, he was the commander of Coromandel for four years. In 1851, he joined the General Screw Steam Shipping Company where he superintended the fit-out of Lady Jocelyn which he took to Australia. On returning to England, the company appointed him to Queen of the South, which he took to Australia.

After delivering the soldiers to Auckland, Victoria performed shore bombardments and coastal patrols, while maintaining supply routes between Auckland and New Plymouth.

The legal hazards of having a colonial warship operating outside her territorial limits was rectified by declaring that all Australian warships in international or foreign waters had to be commissioned into the Royal Navy.

Introduction of salmon in Tasmania Another mission involved Norman delivering a cargo of salmon eggs to Tasmania on Victoria to introduce salmon to Tasmania.