BAKER, SHIRLEY WALDEMAR (1836-1903) a son of the Rev. George Baker, a Church of England clergyman, was born in London, and educated for the ministry. Emigrating to Australia, he joined the Wesleyan church, and in 1860 was sent to Tonga by the Australian Wesleyan conference. There he laboured for 20 years, for 10 years of which he was leader. He resigned to become adviser to King George of Tonga. As Premier, Baker did much to promote the liberty of the people; he compiled a code of laws; constructed roads and public buildings; formulated a constitution (1875) with a legislative assembly of hereditary chiefs and representatives of the people, and made education free and compulsory. Trouble having arisen between the Church and the Government, he established the Free Church of Tonga. Baker succeeded in getting Tonga acknowledged by England, Germany and the United States as an independent kingdom, but his administration was not acceptable to all parties, and an attempt was made to assassinate him. In 1890 he was deported by the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. For some years he lived in Auckland in retirement, but later returned to Tonga and carried on religious work until his death on 10 Nov 1903.

Mennell; Beatrice Shirley Baker, Memoirs of the Rev Dr Shirley Waldemar Baker; N.Z. Herald, 2 Dec 1903.

Reference: Volume 1, page 31

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