against him by Mr. George Milner Stephen, acting Governor of the colony, on the strength of some comments which, as editor of the Register, he had made on that gentleman's land transactions at Gawler. However, Mr. Stephen was nonsuited. Mr. Stevenson died at North Adelaide on Oct. 18th, 1856.
Steward, Major Hon. William Jukes, M.H.R., Speaker of the House of Representatives, New Zealand, is the son of William Steward and Ann (Jukes) his wife, and was born at Reading, Berkshire, England, on Jan. 20th, 1841. Having decided to emigrate to New Zealand, he arrived at Lyttelton in the ship Mersey on Sept. 28th, 1862, and experienced the usual ups and downs of colonial life. He is the proprietor of the Ashburton Guardian and of the Ashburton Mail, and in 1867 published a volume of poems entitled "Carmina Varia" under the nom de plume of Justin Aubrey. Major Steward, who was a member of the Otago Provincial Council for the Oamaru country district and of the Otago Provincial Executive, without portfolio, prior to the abolition of the provinces, was M.H.R. for Oamaru in the New Zealand Parliament from 1871 to 1875, and has represented the Waimate district since 1881. He was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives at the commencement of the session of 1891. Major Steward, who holds that rank in the local forces, married Hannah, daughter of Rev. Caleb Whitefoord, rector of Burford, near Tenbury, Worcestershire, and great-granddaughter of Sir John Whitefoord, Bart., of Blairquhan, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Stewart, Miss Nellie, youngest daughter of Richard Stewart, the popular comedian of Melbourne and Sydney, and sister of Miss Docy and Miss Maggie Stewart, is a native of Australia. Going on the stage when quite a child, Miss Nellie Stewart has of late years achieved the position of the most successful colonial representative of the chief rôles in light or comic opera. In 1892 she played at the Prince of Wales's Theatre in London, sustaining the leading rôle in Blue-eyed Susan. She is married to Mr. Row.
Stewart, Robert Muter, J. P., was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, and acted as Colonial Secretary in the Thorn and Douglas Ministries from June 1876 to March 1877. Mr. Stewart, who is now resident in London, is a member of the Board of Advice to the Agent-General, and a director on the London Board of the Queensland National Bank.
Stirling, Admiral Sir James, first Governor of Western Australia, fifth son of Andrew Stirling, of Drumpellier, oo. Lanark, by Anne, only daughter of Sir Walter Stirling, Bart., of Faskine, co. Lanark, was born at Drumpellier in 1791. Having entered the navy, and served with distinction during the French and American wars, he was employed in the survey of the Australian coast, and was the first to cross the Monaro plains in New South Wales. In 1827 he was sent by Governor Darling to what is now Western Australia, with the dual view of selecting a suitable site for a penal settlement on the Swan River, and of anticipating the French in their reported intention to annex that portion of the mainland of Australia. H.M.S. Success, of which he was in command, dropped anchor on March 6th; and so favourable was his report of the capabilities of the country that on his return to Sydney he was sent back to England with a despatch from Sir Ralph Darling recommending the formation of a settlement on the Swan River. In the result the Imperial Government adopted the suggestion, and appointed Captain Stirling Governor of the inchoate settlement, with a grant of 100,000 acres of land for his services in exploring it. When, after narrowly escaping shipwreck, Captain Stirling landed on June 1st, 1829 (from which time his administration as Governor dated), with the first band of British colonists, the hopes formed from a previous hasty inspection of the land near the coast were far from being realised. Imperfectly sheltered in tents and huts, the colonists remained for months at Garden Island, ultimately selecting Perth as the site of the capital and Fremantle as the port of the settlement. In 1830 a thousand additional settlers arrived, and towards the end of the year the capital was rendered suitable for habitation. Captain Stirling did much valuable exploring work; but all his efforts were unavailing to prevent the disastrous failure of the settlement. His first term of office as Governor expired in Sept.
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