All this agitation, however, had not taken place without much irritation and contention between people of Port Phillip and their Governor at Sydney, from whose authority they wished to free themselves. Sir George Gipps had much to harass him and in 1846 he was glad to retire from his troublesome position. He was succeeded by Sir Charles Fitzroy, a gentleman in every respect his opposite. By no means clever, yet good-tempered and amiable, he troubled himself very little with the affairs of the colony. The Sydney Council managed everything just as it pleased; Sir Charles was glad to be rid of the trouble, and the colonists delighted to have their own way. As for the Separation question, he cared very little whether Port Phillip was turned into a colony or not, and very probably his indifference was of great use to the cause.
Port Phillip a Separate Colony, Victoria
In 1851 the news arrived that Port Phillip was to be separated from New South Wales and in the middle of that year independence was declared. Its superintendent, Latrobe, was raised to the dignity of Governor and the new colony received its constitution, conferring on it all the legislative and other powers which had previously been possessed only by New South Wales