Robert Duff (politician)

Sir Robert William Duff, GCMG, PC (8 May 1835 – 15 March, 1895) was a Scottish Liberal Party politician.

Duff was born at Fetteresso Castle, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, son of Arthur Duff (grandson of Robert Duff) and was educated at Blackheath School, London. He entered the Royal Navy in 1848, and was made a commander in 1865. In 1871, he married Louisa Scott and they had seven children: Helen, Robert W., Arthur, Heather, Isabel, Dorothy and Patrick.cite book|author=A & H Tayler|title=The Book of the Duffs|year=1914|publisher=William Brown]

Political career

Duff served as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Banffshire from 1861–93. He joined Robert Lowe as one of the Adullamites opposing the parliamentary Reform Bill of 1866, which led to the Reform Act 1867. He was a junior Lord of the Treasury and Liberal whip from 1882–5, and Civil Lord of the Admiralty in 1886. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1892. Australian Dictionary of Biography
last= Rutledge
first= Martha
authorlink=
year=1981
id=A080374b
title= Duff, Sir Robert William (1835 - 1895)
accessdate=2008-04-01 ]

Duff was appointed Governor of New South Wales in March 1893 and was subsequently awarded the GCMG. He reached Sydney to take up his duties on May 29, 1893. In February 1895, he became ill while visiting Hobart and returned to Government House in Sydney, where he died of multiple hepatic abscesses and septicaemia on 15 March. He was interred in Waverley Cemetery. He is the only NSW Governor to have died in Office.

References

External links

*cite web|url=http://www.kittybrewster.com/ancestry/duff.htm|title=Duff family tree
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