Grey, Sir George, 1812–98, British colonial administrator. He explored the Swan River district in NW Australia (1838) and later was governor of South Australia (1841–45) and of New Zealand (1845–53). As governor of Cape Colony (1854–60), he advocated federation for the South African territories. When war broke out between Maori natives and English settlers, Grey returned to New Zealand as governor (1861–68), but his efforts to end the fighting were fruitless. After brief residence in London he returned to live in New Zealand, where as premier (1877–79) he advocated important social reforms. Polynesian Mythology (1855) is his most important book.
See biography by J. Rutherford (1961).
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