Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB (/ˈlæxlən/ or /ˈlɒxlən/ and /məˈkwɒrɪ/; Scottish Gaelic spelling: Lachlann MacGuaire; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824), was a Scottish British army officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony. He is considered by some historians to have had a crucial influence on the transition of New South Wales from a penal colony to a free settlement and therefore to have played a major role in the shaping of Australian society in the early nineteenth century. An inscription on his tomb in Scotland describes him as "The Father of Australia".
Read more about Lachlan Macquarie: Early Life and Career, Governor of New South Wales, As Reformer and Explorer, Return To Scotland, Death, and Legacy, Places Named After Macquarie, Places Named After/in Honour of Mrs Macquarie