Christopher Rolleston

Christopher Rolleston CMG (27 July 1817 – 9 April 1888) was an English-born colonial public servant in Australia.

Christopher Rolleston CMG
Christopher Rolleston
Registrar-General of New South Wales
In office 1855–1864
Auditor-General of New South Wales
In office 1864–1883
Preceded by	William Mayne
Succeeded by	Edward Rennie
Personal details
Born	(1817-07-27)27 July 1817 Watnall, Nottinghamshire, England
Died	9 April 1888(1888-04-09) (aged 70)
Occupation	Civil servant

Rolleston was born 27 July 1817 in Watnall, Nottinghamshire, the second son of Rev. John Rolleston and Elizabeth, née Smelt.^[1]

A prominent colonial civil servant in New South Wales, Rolleston served as the Register-General of New South Wales (1855 – 1864). During his time as registrar general he was responsible for the launch of compulsory registration of births, deaths and marriages. He also served in a range of previous roles including Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Darling Downs (1842-1853), private secretary to the Governor of New South Wales, Sir William Denison (1855), as well as auditor-general (1864-1883).^[1]

His commercial appointments included director, European Assurance Society, the Mercantile Bank of Sydney and the Australian Gas Light Company, and a superannuation fund commissioner.^[1]

He served as the president and later a trustee of the Australian Club. For his lifelong service to colonial New South Wales he was appointed CMG in 1879.^[1]

Legacy

A number of places in Queensland are named after him:

• The town of Rolleston in the Central Highlands Region (24.4631°S 148.6236°E / -24.4631; 148.6236 (Rolleston (town)))^[2]
• Mount Rolleston (27.7983°S 151.7178°E / -27.7983; 151.7178 (Mount Rolleston)) in Felton in the Toowoomba Region on the Darling Downs^[3]

Publications

• The Condition and Resources of New South Wales — A lecture delivered at Sydney, December 12, 1866. (1867)