Governor George Rennie (Governor of the islands 1848-1855) did much to try to bring order and purpose to the new town of Stanley.

The people of the town were living on rations and provisions handed out from the Government Stores and with little to do drunkeness prevailed. There was no milk or butter in a colony who at that time had thousands of cattle. He bought and domesticated a cow successfully and settlers followed suit. Rennie himself had brought garden seeds for vegetables and they were found to grow well there. A General Improvement Society was formed encouraging settlers to raise animals and vegetables. This resulted in an abundance of food in the town, the people no longer reliant on rations from Government. A covered market place with a clock tower known as the Exchange Building was built between 1852 and 1854 on the site on which now stands Christ Church Cathedral.

The settlers were well placed and able to cash in on the 'Gold Rushes' starting in  1850 that brought ships to Stanley for fresh supplies of meat, vegetables and water and of course for repairs.

Social Concerns

To curb drinking and the numerous and rapidly multiplying stray dogs in the town Rennie introduced an Ordinance to licence the sale of spirits and an Ordinance requiring dog owners to licence dogs. Failure incurred a fine.

On the 9th of March 1889 an Ordinance to make further Provision for the Protection of Women and Girls, the prevention of Outrages on Decency and other purposes was passed and came into operation on the same day.

Sources: The Falkland Islands and South America- Rev. C. McDonald Dobley 1917, The Falkland Islands- Ian J. Strange .