Background
Philip Henry Nind was born at Hawthorns, Berkshire on 7 April 1831, the son of Review Philip Henry Nind and his wife Agnes Bussell.
Philip Henry Nind was born at Hawthorns, Berkshire on 7 April 1831, the son of Review Philip Henry Nind and his wife Agnes Bussell.
He attended Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford where he was a proficient rower.
In the 1852 Boat Race, he rowed Number 3 in the winning Oxford boat stroked by J West Chitty. In 1860 Nind took the position of Gold Commissioner and Justice of the Peace for Cariboo, as the Cariboo Gold Rush was just getting under way. William Pinchbeck accompanied Nind to Williams Lake to create a local government and bring law and order to the area.
Nind had originally considered Fort Alexandria for this purpose but chose Williams Lake instead as it was at a junction of two main pack trails: one from the Douglas Road and another through the Fraser Canyon.
While stationed in the Cariboo Nind wrote voluminous letters and reports to Vancouver Island governor James Douglas in Victoria, telling him about the many developments taking place in the district. In 1861 Nind had a government house built and requested the construction of a jail.
By the middle of the year he was severely overworked causing him insomnia and a nervous twitch, In October he requested leave and in December went to England. lieutenant took three men to replace him in the work he had been doing.
He was succeeded as gold commissioner by Thomas Elwyn until Elwyn resigned later in the year through conflict of interest in having his own claim.
When the gold escort was temporarily revived in 1863 Elwyn was made second in command to Nind Nind was moved around from one backwater post to another until he resigned in 1866. He was for a time in North Queensland where he was active in exploration. On 4 October 1873 he accompanied George Elphinstone Dalrymple and Sub-Inspector Robert Johnstone in entering the Glady"s River.
The first election was declared void.
He was elected to the Legislative Assembly by a very small majority. He was elected as lecturer in agricultural districts of England and returned to England.
He died on 9 March 1896 at Lashlake House, Thames, England aged 64.
He was also a politician in, where he was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. In 1853 Nind was a member of the winning Oxford eight in the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley and was also again in the winning Oxford four in Stewards" Challenge Cup. He was a member of the crew in the winning Oxford Boat in the 1854 Boat Race.
He became a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Logan from 28 November 1873 to 27 May 1874 and from 8 June 1874 to 3 April 1875.