Bound for South Australia 1836

The Beginning of a New ColonyWeek 44

A scene in South Australia. c. 1850. by Alexander Schramm. South Australian Government Grant 1982. Image courtesy of the Art Gallery of South Australia. 8212P30

Overview

Between February and July 1836 nine ships left Britain bound for the newly created province of South Australia. On-board the ships were passengers who over many long months braved the perils of the ocean, including some of the most treacherous seas in the world to begin a new life on the other side of the world.

This resource uses the stories from these nine ships as recorded by the passengers and crew in their personal journals.

Contents

• Introduction• Journal entries• Inquiry Questions• Relevant images • Glossary of Terms

Introduction

This week’s journal entries give us a clear picture of the daily activities beingperformed by our new migrants in the new colony, some of which include theplanting of crops, hunting for food, building of an oven, the location for thefirst printing press and relationships between indigenous Australians andEuropeans. At present everyone appears to be getting along and we canestablish from the journal entries, that there were no convicts sent to SouthAustralia. Did you know that South Australia was the only Australian colony tobe established with free settlers? This week we look at what is was like livingin Australia in 1836, making comparisons to life in England during this timeand what life is like in Australia now.

Journals from settlers in South Australia:Sunday 18 December 1836

Robert Gouger, who arrived in South Australia on board the Africaine wrote:

…The “Tam O’Shanter” left behind her a considerable quantity of excellent porter. This, with other goods, supplied the first store in the Colony, opened by Mr Thomas. I have not had time for making a garden, but some of my brother Colonists have been disposed thus to work, & have planted potatoes, & a variety of early vegetable seeds, thus in most cases succeed well, & afford the promise of a good crop. We have had good supplies of potatoes from Van Dieman’s Land, & have also eaten a vegetable found by the sea-side which I am told is the “Kelp” from which Manilla is manufactured. The leaves & young shoots, well washed & boiled are excellent eating, somewhat resembling the English Spinach. Another plant (which we have not yet tried) is also said to be palatable & nutritious.

Sunday 18 December 1836

William Light, who arrived in South Australia on board the Rapid wrote:

…On the 22nd, about four p.m. she was hove off, and both ships made sail for the higher part of the harbour, [I] preceding both ships in my hatch-boat . It was really beautiful to look back and see two British ships for the first time sailing up between the mangroves, in fine smooth water, in a creek that had never before borne the construction of the marine architect, and which at some future period might be the channel of import and export of a great commercial capital. We anchored for the night about six p.m.; the Tam O’Shanter having taken the mud laid till about midnight, when the flood tide having floated her off, she passed us and brought up till daylight. Having now got both ships up the harbour, I shall leave my narrative of the maritime part of this expedition, and proceed to my work on shore.

Monday 19 December 1836

John Brown, who arrived in South Australia on board the John Pirie wrote:

Early this Morng and during PalmersWatch all our Sheep got out from the Park netting,but were found during the Day scattered about in everydirection and 3 of them were dead, which no doubt havebeen killed by the wild Dogs…

Tuesday 20 December 1836

Mary Thomas, who arrived in South Australia on board the Africaine wrote:

This day William, then a boy of fifteen, completed an oven which he made of iron hoops fixed in the ground in a half-circle and covered with a thick coating of clay, afterwards burned. It answered exceedingly well and we not only baked bread in it but pies and puddings, and occasionally fresh meat, when we could get it, but that was seldom. This oven was the first constructed in the colony, and remained in its primitive state, as I was told, long after we quitted Glenelg.

About this time we also built a rush hut a short distance from our tents for the better accommodation of part of our family, but they had not long occupied it before everything was suddenly ordered to be cleared out to make room for the printing-press, in order to print the Proclamation of the Colony. In this place, about twelve feet square, the first printing in South Australia was produced…

Tuesday 20 December 1836

Robert Gouger, who arrived in South Australia on board the Africaine wrote:

Being tired of salt meat & hearing constantly of the success of my neighbours in shooting, I determined to sally forth in search of game, & succeeded beyond my most sanguine expectations. I brought home after about 4 hours shooting yesterday 17 parrots & to-day after 2 hours walking bagged – no not bagged but suspended to a cord round my neck 12 parrots & parrokeets which proved excellent eating. The plumage of some of these birds is of extraordinary beauty & would have fetched a very high price in England. I never saw such plumage before.

Wednesday 21 December 1836

John Brown, who arrived in South Australia on board the John Pirie wrote:

Both Yestdy and to Day have been employ’dShearing the Wedder Sheep, and afterwards rubbing themas likewise all the others with boil’d Tobacco, they being verymuch affected with the Scab ______

Thursday 22 December 1836

Robert Gouger, who arrived in South Australia on board the Africaine wrote:

Out shooting again with similar success. The 2 natives who were brought into the settlement on Decr 1st by Mr Williams remained with him about a week performing a variety of work & conducting themselves in a satisfactory manner, but suddenly left without assigning any reason. They however returned last Sunday bringing with them 4 others. They visited the different huts, receiving from each presents of sugar, biscuits etc. At night they had a “corrobboree” or native dance, but I was not so fortunate to witness this. The custom of these natives appear to differ from those of N. S. Wales, for instance the ceremony of knocking out a front tooth on the attainment of manhood is not enforced here, not one of the natives who have visited us having undergone the operation. Presents of clothes were given them, which they much valued & wore all day, but removed dust & dirt from them at night & (though lying in the open air) folded them up for a pillow!

Saturday 24 December 1836

William Light, who arrived in South Australia on board the Rapid wrote:

Walked over the plain to that part of the river where Mr Kingston had pitched his tent, with a small party of the surveying labourers. My first opinions with regard to this place became still more confirmed by this trip; having traversed over nearly six miles of a beautiful flat, I arrived at the river, and saw from this a continuation of the same plain for at least six miles more to the foot of the hills under Mount Lofty, which heights trending to the sea in a south-westerly direction were there terminated about four or five miles south of the camp ground at Holdfast Bay, affording an immense plain of level and advantageous ground for occupation. Having settled some matters for future proceedings with Mr Kingston, I left him and returned to the brig at six p.m., to make arrangements for finally leaving the ship.

Inquiry Questions

• Which skills / jobs were needed to establish and build the new colony?

• What resources were used to build and establish structures in the new colony?

• How was food sourced in the early days of the colony?

• What practices were in place to ensure law and order was maintained in the new colony?

• Why was South Australia established as a free colony without convicts?

Images

Platycercus Pennantii, Lithograph, John Gould's 'Birds of Australia' 1840-1848

[ Sheep & Lamb ] chromolithograph after a painting by Frederick Taylor, published in 1884. Ref F3722

Glossary of TermsBrig• A sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts.Corrobboree• A word from the Sydney area, in common usage by the 1830s to refer to a dance or ceremony

performed by Australian Aboriginal people.