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 Gerald
Strickland, Conte della Catania, the son of Walter
Strickland and Louisa Bonnici Mompalao, was born in
Valletta in 1861 and pursued his studies in Malta,
England and Italy. In 1887 was elected to the
Council of Government, and in the following year he
was appointed Chief Secretary, a post which he held
till 1902 when he was nominated Governor of the
Leeward Island (1902 - 1904). He was also Governor
of Tasmania, Western Australia and New South Wales.
In 1917 Count Strickland returned to Malta and after
the grant of Self Government, formed the
Anglo-Maltese Party, which soon afterward
amalgamated with the Maltese Constitutional and
became the Constitutional Party under his
leadership. As such, Strickland was the leader of
the Opposition between 1921 - 1927.
After the 1927 elections, Strickland, whose party
together with the Labour Party had a majority in the
Legislative Assembly, became Head of Ministry. The
most important events of his administration were
without any doubt his clash with the Senate, which
led to the issue of Letters Patent which curtailed
its powers, and his concurrent clash with the
Ecclesiastical Authorities which led to the
suspension of the Constitution in 1930.
Between July 1932 and November 1933, Lord Strickland
was again the leader of the Opposition, and was
again the leader of the Opposition, and after the
grant of a new Constitution in1939, he became the
leader of the elected majority in the Council of
Government.
Lord Strickland died at his residence at Casal
Attard on 22 August 1940 and was buried in the
family chapel at the Cathedral Church at Mdina. |
