He was the son of William Austin (1759–1817), co-owner of the Land of Plenty plantation in
British Guiana, and his wife Mehetabel Piercy; he was born in
Stone, Staffordshire. He matriculated at
Exeter College, Oxford in 1825, graduating B.A. 1829, and M.A. 1835.
Ordained in 1831, Austin was in rapid succession
curate,
vicar and
Rural Dean of
Georgetown, then
Archdeacon and Bishop. He was
consecrated a bishop at
Westminster Abbey on 24 August 1842, to serve as first
Bishop of British Guiana. In the words of the youthful
Queen Victoria, he was "the youngest and handsomest of my Bishops." In 1884, Austin was appointed
Primate of
the West Indies and in 1891,
Prelate of the Order of St Michael and St George. In 1884, Austin founded the
Anglican Grammar School for Boys, which was intended to educate the elite. The school was later renamed Queen's College, and has provided education for four presidents and three prime ministers, among others. ==Legacy==