Minister for Finance and Services, Dominic Perrottet, today joined NSW Governor Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Marie Bashir, AC CVO at Government House to receive a gift of historic volumes from the family of Charles 3rd Lord Carrington, former Governor of NSW from 1885 to 1890.

“I am thrilled to have been able to join Governor Bashir in receiving such a historic gift from the Carington Family on behalf of State Records Authority of NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Dating back 122 years, this collection of 22 exquisite volumes provides a unique insight into the life and conditions within colonial NSW.

“They contain original photographs, illustrations and well-wishes from residents, towns and various associations across the state, and offer a rare snapshot from a bygone era – a period before federation.”

The Carrington Volumes accompanied Lord Carrington back to England in 1890, where they remained in Buckinghamshire until now. They have been donated to NSW State Records by the Carington Family and the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies.

The Honourable Rupert Carington, descendant of Charles 3rd Lord Carrington, said the family had retained special ties with Australia.

“The Carington family greatly values its connection with Australia,” he said.

“Apart from Charles 3rd Lord Carrington being Governor of NSW, Rupert 4th Lord Carrington lived in NSW, married an Australian, and raised a regiment in Australia to fight in the Boer War. Rupert 5th Lord Carrington was born in NSW, and my Father Peter 6th Lord Carrington was British High Commissioner in Australia.

“I myself attended school in Canberra. However, despite retaining many mementos of Australia in the family, we decided that the importance and magnificence of these splendid volumes fully justified their return to NSW where they could be properly and publicly appreciated.”

Minister Perrottet said work had commenced to digitise the Carrington Volumes and to make them available on the NSW State Records website, www.records.nsw.gov.au.

“We want to make our state’s records as easy to access as possible, and making these beautiful volumes available online in digital format will mean everyone has a chance to view them,” he said.

The Carrington Volumes were officially handed over to the NSW Government by a representative of the Carington Family, Janet Holmes a Court.

EDITORS NOTE: The family name is spelt ‘Carington’ while the title for Lord is spelt, ‘Carrington’.

BACKGROUND:

The Carrington Volumes remained in the Carington family’s home shire, Buckinghamshire until they were repatriated to Australia in 2014

The volumes are each of considerable size (A2) and weigh approximately 15 kilograms

Charles Lord 3rd Carrington was Governor of New South Wales from 12 December 1885 to 3 November 1890

On 11 June 1885 the Sydney Morning Herald claimed Lord Carrington’s appointment as “most auspicious” citing that “Lord Carrington is a nobleman, a friend of the Prince of Wales, a cousin of Lord Rosebery, and a personage at Court”

The volumes were presented to Lord Carrington upon his departure of Sydney on 3 November 1890

To farewell Lord and Lady Carrington from Australia, thousands of residents lined Sydney streets and showered their carriage with flowers