Early Days on Eyre Peninsula 30

First Cutter Built at Port Lincoln

Foundation Stone of Church Laid

Port Lincoln Times (SA : 1927 - 1954), Friday 28 June 1935, page 3

By J. D. Somerville

A great event at Port Lincoln was the building of the cutter Alice by Mr. W. F. Porter. The vessel was built under his superintendence, and launched from his own slip. The launching took place in the first week in November, and the maiden trip was made to Port Adelaide, the cutter arriving there on November 27, 1839.

The 'Port Lincoln Herald' said the Alice was a handsome craft, the largest vessel built in the colony up to that date, and capable of carrying 26 to 30 tons. This boat had the honour of carrying the first number of the 'Herald' printed at Port Lincoln, to Port Adelaide. In addition, she took the first export from Port Lincoln, in the shape of three bales of wool and salt fish, the beginning of a self-supporting trade. 

The 'Herald' pictured Australia as more adapted for grazing, than agriculture, and contemplated New Zealand supplying wheat, while Australia produced the wool, therefore the paper wrote that every effort should be made to stock the undulating, hills and valleys with sheep and cattle. Actually this is what applied to the Peninsula for many years; it was not until nearly three quarters of a century had passed away that wheat was grown in abundance.

The launching of the Alice was eloquently used as an illustration of how admirably Boston Bay lent itself both for shipbuilding and repairing ships of heavy burthen, deep water being so close inshore. 

Capt. Lees took rather a different view of Port Lincoln with regard to the oversea trade. When it was said that Port Lincoln would be the emporium of South Australia, he pointed out, justifiably, that Spencer's Gulf was navigable to the head of the Gulf, and a port there was more likely to do the export trade for the central part. Wallaroo or Port Pirie had not been thought of then. He could not see any necessity for an oversea boat to lay at Port Lincoln, for the mere sake of smaller vessels bringing the produce of other coastal ports to her. Lees considered that Port Lincoln might become another Plymouth where ships would call for orders, but looking at it from a commercial aspect, " I should think it will prove a failure," he said. 

EARLY DESCRIPTION OF TOWN 

The 'Herald' gives us a description of Port Lincoln in May, 1840. The population was stated to be 270, "most of whom live in comfortable dwellings, there being upward of 30 houses substantially built of stone." They had 3,500 sheep, 120 cows and bullocks. Several persons who had settled in the bush were carrying on agricultural and other farming activities. The foundation stone of a church had been laid. With the appointment of a resident magistrate, it was necessary to build the appropriate buildings, so we are told that a gaol and courthouse were in course of erection, and also that other public works were in contemplation. 

We have seen how a visiting clergyman in the middle of 1839 did not contemplate the possibility of the settlers forming a church, but the people took a different view; for within nine months the foundation of a church was laid. On April 22, 1840, a meeting of residents elected Mr. W. F. Porter as chairman and Messrs. M. Smith, B. P. Winter, J. Kemp, R. F. Porter and J. B. Harvey as members of a committee for erecting a church and for collecting funds. The Bank of Port Lincoln (R. F. Porter, manager) was elected treasurer. 

It was agreed that His Excellency the Governor (George Gawler) be asked to lay the first stone and name the church. He also had the right to appoint the first clergyman, the settlers reserving to themselves the right of making future appointments. The settlers were ready with their own contributions and equally ready to take possession and dispose of other people's property, so the centre of Wellington square was the site suggested for the church. Further the trustees of the Port Lincoln Special Survey Association were to be asked to allocate surplus land for the benefit of the church, and the Resident Commissioner was asked to cede the site for the church in the square and also to convey a suitable portion of land as a glebe for the benefit of the incumbent.

EARLY SUBSCRIBERS 

It is interesting to look at the first published list of subscribers : — … ; total, £185 14/-. 

Complementary to that meeting, the Port Lincoln Special Survey Association held a meeting in Adelaide. The Governor was present, and he reported that he had visited Port Lincoln… and that he had had the pleasure of laying the foundation of a church there, which he had named St. Nicolas. It was decided that a committee consisting of Messrs. Bentham, Clay, Gilles, Hardy and G. H. Barnard should cooperate with the Port Lincoln committee in raising subscriptions, that unappropriated lands be devoted to religious purposes, to be settled by the trustees in connection with the Government. A lot of the names on the subscription list are familiar in connection with the allocation of township lands, and some of the names are still prominent in the district. Joseph Kemp shortly afterwards became a close connection of J. Bishop. It was quite a loyal list, headed by the Governor, then we have a Mr. and Mrs. Queen and a Mr. York. Capt. Murray was the captain of the Porter. 

CHURCH NEVER BUILT 

Canon Swan advises me that the church was never built ; only the foundations were put in. He is under the impression that the site was not in Wellington Square, but somewhere near there. …  His Excellency , the Governor (Sir H. E. F. Young) in a despatch to England, dated April 6, 1850, gives a description of Port Lincoln, as a result of a visit there. 

Among other interesting items is this reference to the church: — " On an eminence overlooking both bays, was laid the foundation stone of an intended church, which, however, was never proceeded with, and is now only alluded to by the settlers, as a record of the exaggerated and hitherto disappointed expectations of the early purchasers of land, many of whom are resident in England." 

He mentions that the Bishop, who accompanied him on the trip, held divine service in a woolshed. The residents took the opportunity of the Governor's presence to inaugurate the construction of another church, for in the same despatch he states, " I have laid the foundation stone of a church to be called ' St. Thomas,' suitable in size, to the population and its scanty pecuniary resources. It is now in progress of erection, and I hope and believe it will escape the ill success of the previous attempt at supplying the settlers with a place of worship." 

The Bank of Port Lincoln …[some details].  ‘Victoria Bank, Port Lincoln ; Chas. Smith, Esq., manager." [from the Egotist]

Two early proclamations and two official notifications are of importance to the Peninsula. There was another proclamation dealing with the natives, but the consideration of that one will be left until the story of the native troubles is being told. The first proclamation refers to making Port Lincoln a legal port, and was issued by Governor Gawler in the 'Gazette' on June 27, 1839. Portion of the proclamation reads : — [wording of the proclamation]

Probably in view of the making of this proclamation Mr. J. B. Harvey was transferred from Kangaroo Island to Port Lincoln as Collector of Customs, postmaster and port officer. 

In the ' Gazette ' of October 3, 1839, Governor Gawler by proclamation divided the province into two parts for magisterial purposes. At that time the Peninsula had not been called after Eyre, nor named the district of Eyria, therefore the Governor had to fall back on the expedient of using the name of the chief port as the name to embrace the whole district. [i.e. The District of Port Lincoln]... [wording of proclamation].

Mr. Matthew Smith, solicitor, was appointed the first resident magistrate for the district, and Mr. John Erving Barnard was appointed clerk of the peace, and clerk to the magistrate. Both of these were well known in the history of the special survey. 

On October 31, 1839, Governor Gawler directed that the coastal area of the province should be divided into districts, these were named Bonneia, Sturtia, Yorke's Peninsula, and Eyria, three of these names were used to preserve the memory of those who first explored the large districts of the province. The boundary of Eyria was stated to be " the Peninsula included between Spencer's Gulf in its whole length and from the Southern Ocean from Cape Catastrophe to the western point of Denial Bay." 

At the same time a general instruction was given, that names which may have been given by the natives to minor features were to be carefully and precisely retained in all possible cases consistent with propriety and beauty of appellation.

On November 6, 1839, Governor Gawler wrote to E. J. Eyre, who had just returned from his first trip through the Peninsula. After thanking Eyre for his great service, the letter goes on to say, "I have felt it proper to call, after your name, the Peninsula of which you have been the first investigator."

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

The next series of articles by Mr. Somerville will deal with small explorations in the southern part of the Peninsula.