Willoughby Shortland

Willoughby Shortland
Portrait of Willoughby Shortland drawn by his niece.
1st Colonial Secretary of New Zealand
In office
3 May 1841 – 31 December 1843
GovernorWilliam Hobson
Personal details
Born(1804-09-30)30 September 1804
Plymouth, Devonshire, England
Died7 October 1869(1869-10-07) (aged 65)
Courtlands, Kingsbridge, Devon, England
Resting placeSt. Mary's Churchyard, Churchstow, South Hams, Devon, England
SpouseIsabella Kate Johnston
RelationsEdward Shortland (brother)
Peter Shortland (brother)
John Shortland (uncle)
John Shortland (grandfather)
OccupationRoyal Navy officer, colonial administrator
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
Service years1818–1869
RankCommander
Served onHMS Redpole, 1823–
HMS Ocean, 1824–
HMS Blanche, 1824–
HMS Wellesley, 1825–
HMS Heron, 1826–1827
HMS Blanche, 1827–
HMS Victor, 1827–
HMS Melville, 1828–
HMS Galatea, 1828–
HMS Ranger, 1829–
HMS Monkey, 1830–
HMS Kangaroo, 1830–
HMS Skipjack, 1831–1833
CommandsHMS Monkey, 1830
HMS Skipjack, 1831–1833
Alma materRoyal Naval College
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "honorific-prefix". Replace with "honorific_prefix".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "otherparty". Replace with "other_party".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "restingplacecoordinates". Replace with "resting_place_coordinates".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "restingplace". Replace with "resting_place".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "honorific-suffix". Replace with "honorific_suffix".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "birthname". Replace with "birth_name".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "nationality". It should be removed.

Commander Willoughby Shortland (30 September 1804 – 7 October 1869) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He was New Zealand's first Colonial Secretary from 1841, after having arrived in New Zealand with Lieutenant Governor William Hobson in January 1840. He was later President of the island of Nevis and then Governor of Tobago.