Precis 27

Early Days on Eyre Peninsula 27

Birth of Port Lincoln Township

By J. D. Somerville

The next historical event, in chronological sequence in the development of Eyre Peninsula is the birth of the township of Port Lincoln. In [previous issues] appeared the history of the application for the special survey, from which the township arose, and the subsequent distribution of the land among the proprietors. 

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[Several paragraphs of errata of previous articles]

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It is interesting to learn that after holding 17 blocks for the space of three quarters of a century, the South Australian Company sold them for a lower amount than the original purchase price. 

It will be remembered that D. McLaren went to Port Lincoln to make an examination of the district, so if is worthy of note that in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, South Australian Branch, which was issued last April, is a copy of William Light's diary, from the time his office was burnt down (January 22, 1839) to a few days before his death (October 5, 1839). … Saturday, January 26, 1839, Light has recorded : 

' Employed writing my letter to Mr. Mc Laren,' no subject mentioned ; and another entry on Tuesday, February 5, 1839 : ' Mr. McLaren called to talk about Port Lincoln.' Then Mr. McLaren went to Port Lincoln on his inspection, and while he was away Smith and Hawson lodged their claim. This entry in Light's diary is the earliest record we have of any definite move to make a settlement at Port Lincoln. . . . 

PRIME MOVERS FOR SURVEY 

It is not clear who were the prime movers in the negotiation for the special survey, but probably the following are some of them : — 

• Charles Smith (otherwise Percival Wood Smith), whose receipt for £600 is numbered 1 ; 

• Henry Hawson, whose receipt for £224 is numbered 2 ;

• Benjamin Shaen, whose receipt for £600 is numbered 3 ; 

• W. F. Porter, whose receipt for £152 is numbered 4 ; 

• Matthew Smith, whose receipt for £160 is numbered 7 ; 

• John Bertham Neales (temporarily Neales Bentham), whose receipt for £80 is numbered 14. These seem to have been the prominent workers. 

A previous article gave the full list of the 42 subscribers who participated in providing funds for the purchase of the 4,000 acres. Charles Smith gave a few details of the founding of the association in the ' Egotist,' which he published to vent his grievances. It appears that a preliminary attempt was made to collect the necessary £4,000, but from those approached only £3,500 in cash could be raised by February 23, 1839. To provide the additional £500, several (probably seven) persons endorsed bills which were negotiated. The story as told by C. Smith is hazy, but one of seven wished to claim for the seven all profit arising out of the provision of the £500. That is, they would share the 500 acres representing the quantity of land purchasable with £500, and as a consequence the subscribers who had not paid up in full on February 23 should participate only to the extent of the money actually paid up.  But fortunately the subscribers at a meeting on March 2, 1839, would not agree to such a suggestion, and therefore the whole 42 original subscribers got all the land they applied for. 

[Sighted in the Archives] a copy of a receipt issued by Osmond Gilles to Smith and Hawson for the £3,840 handed in on February 23, but apparently the land orders had not been handed in. It was not until the twenty-seventh that Gilles advised the acting commissioner of the transaction, consequently that may be the reason why the demand for the survey is dated February 27, when the first payment was made on the twenty-third. But against this theory, in a cash book produced by Mr. Pitt, there is an entry under date February 23, 1839 : £3,840 and 2 land orders equal to £160. This would make up the £4,000. 

As months rolled by, other purchasers became prominent in the dealings of the Survey Association. Osmond Gilles may be mentioned. He was connected with the affairs until his death. After the resignation of the original trustees (Smith and Hawson), Gilles and Knott were appointed. 

Osmond Gilles was an old colonist, having arrived In the Buffalo on December 28, 1836, and died in 1865 aged 79 years. It was Osmond Giles who offered to make available land on the water frontage for erecting proper buildings for the comfort of the next arriving immigrants, but of which no further reference is made. He had water frontage blocks 11, 15, 69, 137, at that time. A few remarks about these prime movers should be of interest. 

Charles Smith arrived in the Bardaster from Liverpool, on January 22, 1839. He was booked for Sydney, but was so delighted with Adelaide he discontinued his journey here. Isaac Nonmus and Joseph Barnett arrived by the same boat. Henry Hawson and his family were rovers, searching for the promised land, or another El Dorado. He left Newfoundland in 1834, in the Abeona, and eventually landed in Port Lincoln. 

Of Benjamen Shaen little can be found, but he was a friend of Charles Smith in England, and was in South Australia before the arrival of C. Smith probably he may have been the deciding factor in Smith becoming a South Australian. 

W. F. Porter in the Porter and Capt. J. Bishop in the Dorset left Liverpool on August 26, 1838, and arrived in South Australia on January 23, 1839, the day after Charles Smith's arrival, if reliance can be placed on the records. Porter and Smith were not known to each other in Liverpool. 

Matthew Smith, solicitor, arrived at Holdfast Bay on November 8, 1836, by the Africaine (316 tons ; Capt. Duff).  He spent the first 12 months on Kangaroo Island, then opened an office in Gawler place. He early became interested in the Survey Association, and was intimately connected with Eyre Peninsula for many years. He formed Poonindie station. 

John Bentham Neales was, I imagine, the instigator. He arrived in South Australia June 24. 1838, in the Eden, surely a very suggestive name, as he became so intimately connected with Port Lincoln. He was an auctioneer.

Read the full article at https://sites.google.com/view/early-days-of-eyre-peninsula/birth-of-port-lincoln-township  

The next installment is entitled “Port Lincoln Called 'Emporium of State'”