Eugene Charles Albert Sharrer was a British subject by naturalisation but of German descent, who was a leading entrepreneur in what is now Malawi for around fifteen years between his arrival in 1888 and his departure.
[1] He rapidly built-up commercial operations including wholesale and retail trading, considerable holdings of land, cotton and coffee plantations and a fleet of steamers on the Zambezi and Shire rivers.
Sharrer was prominent in pressure groups that represented the interests of European planters and their businesses to the colonial authorities, and was responsible for the development of the first railway in what had become the British Central Africa Protectorate, whose construction was agreed in 1902.
When the ivory trade declined as the elephants were killed off, he diversified, acquiring considerable landholdings and building up a successful transport and agricultural concern.
[8] Sharrer claimed to have purchased 363,034 acres in the area, and had attempted to induce chiefs to give up all their rights to their land.
[13] Sharrer was one of the leading estate owners and formed the Shire Highland Planters Association in November 1891, becoming its Chairman.
Shortly after this he left British Central Africa permanently for London, although retaining his financial interests in the territory.
[21] Eugene Sharrer died in London during the First World War when under confinement as a German by the Custodian of Enemy Property.