Guide to the Diary of Henry E. McCallum (as filmed by the AJCP), 1875

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Summary

Collection number:

M1184

Creator:

McCallum, Henry Edward, Sir

Extent:

3 items

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.

Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.

Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for reference.

Background

Content Summary:

Diary of Henry McCallum recording four journeys in the Malay Peninsula, June – November 1895. (unpaginated)

The entries are written on the right hand pages of an exercise book, with additions written on the left hand pages. In the first three journeys McCallum accompanied the governor, Sir William Jervois, and a few other officials, notably Frank Swettenham (1850-1946). Swettenham, who eventually became governor of the Straits Settlements, was fluent in Malay and was the unofficial adviser to the sultan of Selangor at Langat. He acted as interpreter in the governor's meetings with Malay chiefs. The diary is, to some extent, a travel diary, recording daily activities and McCallum's impressions of villages, houses, roads and topography. The longer entries, however, focus on discussions between British officials, negotiations between the governor and the Malay rulers, and McCallum's own understanding of the political situation in Malaya and the relations and tensions between rulers, factions and states.

The diary discusses in detail the landscape, revenues, tin-mining, opium farming, transport and community relations of the Malay States and in particular the political conflicts and governments of the States. It includes verbatim reports of talks between Jervois and Rajahs and other native rulers. Jervois and McCallum were especially concerned with the weaknesses of the Resident system instituted by the Treaty of Pangkore (1874) and the murder of Birch led to strong criticism of Jervois' policy of annexation by Lord Carnarvon, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Biographical / Historical:

Henry Edward McCallum (1852-1919) was born in Yeovil, Somerset. He was educated at the Royal Military College, Woolwich, and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1871. He spent three years at Chatham and then worked in the Fortifications Office at the Horse Guards in London. In 1875 he went to Singapore as private secretary to the Sir William Jervois, the governor of the Straits Settlements. In this position he became heavily involved in the politics of the Malay Peninsula, particularly after the murder of James Birch, the first British Resident in Perak.

In 1877 McCallum's term as private secretary ended when Jervois was transferred to South Australia. He returned to the Straits Settlements in 1880 and served there for 17 years, becoming one of the major figures in the early history of the colony. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1883 and major in 1890. He was Deputy Colonial Engineer in Penang from 1880 to 1884 and Colonial Engineer and Surveyor General from 1884 to 1897. He was responsible for new defence works in Singapore and designed public buildings, such as the Raffles Library and Museum (1887). He played a key role in introducing electricity to Singapore in 1892. He was president of the Municipal Commission and the Fire Commissioners, special commissioner in Pahang (1891) and commandant of the Singapore Volunteer Artillery.

McCallum was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1897 and retired from the British Army in 1900. From 1897 to 1913 he held a series of vice-regal posts, being governor of Lagos (1897-1899), Newfoundland (1899-1901), Natal (1901-1907) and Ceylon (1907-1913). He was knighted in 1898.

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:: Available for Access.
Conditions Governing Use:: Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.