Charles Whybrow Ligar

Charles Whybrow Ligar (1809or 1811 – February 1881) was a British army officer, Surveyor General of New Zealand and Surveyor General of Victoria, (then a colony, now a state of Australia).

Ligar was born in Ceylon, (now Sri Lanka) where his father was stationed. Charles Ligar was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from the age of 13. Reputedly commissioned in the Royal Engineers, Ligar resigned to join the British Ordnance Survey. Ligar married in 1839 Grace, daughter of Thomas Hanyngton, of Dungannon, Tyrone, and granddaughter of the Earl of Charlemont. Ligar was employed on the Ordnance Survey of Ireland until 1840.

Ligar was appointed Surveyor General of New Zealand by Lord John Russell and after being shipwrecked at the Cape of Good Hope arrived in Wellington, New Zealand on 8 December 1841. He was also land titles commissioner in the late 1840s. Ligar purchased a vast quantity of land from the Maoris for the European settlers, and was appointed colonel and commandant of the New Zealand Militia, in which capacity he took part in the war at the Bay of Islands.

Ligar resigned as Surveyor General in 1856, and went to Otago, unsuccessfully seeking to become the provincial surveyor. He discovered gold in the Mataura River while searching for grazing land.

Ligar was appointed Surveyor General of Victoria in 1858 (replacing Clement Hodgkinson), promising to reduce survey costs and open the land for settlers. Ligar initially proposed to replace all government surveyors with contractors, a move that was not popular. One great saving implemented at this time was by the implementation of photolithographic copying of plans, a process developed "in-house" by J. W. Osborne. By 1869, leading politicians were demanding his removal and Ligar resigned in September. His replacement as Surveyor General was Alexander John Skene. In 1869 Ligar married Marie, daughter of the late Captain Williams, of Auckland, N.Z.

Ligar retired initially to Europe, then took up ranching in Texas. He died there in February 1881 and was buried at Willow Springs, Parker County, Texas.