How Port Lincoln Blocks were Allotted

THIS week Mr. J. D. Somerville concludes his account of the settlement of Port Lincoln. Further articles from Mr. Somerville's pen about the early days of this part of the State will appear in "The Port Lincoln Times."

Mr. Tod's opinion after his exploratory trip and the knowledge gained otherwise of the new settlement was that "although not so favorable to the immediate vicinity as could be wished, yet when the natural advantages of Port Lincoln are taken into consideration, enough remain to encourage enterprising settlers in locating themselves on these shores."

As the first ballot for the 167 water frontages was soon to take place, it might be advisable to consider the scheme of distribution. The 4,000 acres which had been taken up under the special survey had to be divided between the 72 persons who provided the original funds or their nominees. The promoters at the inception apparently had no fixed idea how to work the scheme, but gradually evolved the idea of a unit of 24 acres for each 24 subscribed. In the 4,000 acres there would be 167 units (that is, 4,000 divided by 24 gives 167).

Having arrived at the number of units or shares, the next problem was how to divide the land. The records show the final arrangement was : — 167 water frontages of half an acre each ; 835 township blocks of half an acre each ; 167 Boston Island blocks of one acre each ; 167 country sections of 20 acres each. This gives 4,007 acres, but 4027 acres were taken, the additional money being paid on February 11, 1841, when the final settlement was being negotiated, and the land grant was issued to Charles Smith and Henry Hawson on February 25, 1841. The early records do not show how the extra land was disposed of.

The sections granted in the Port Lincoln special survey which were chosen by the Port Lincoln Survey Association are as follow : — In the hundred of Lincoln — section No. 1 (the whole of the township of Port Lincoln and Happy Valley) consisting of 500 acres ; section 70 (the town-ship on Boston Island) consisting of 167 acres after the roads were excluded ; sections 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 44. 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53,54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69 (all containing 80 acres each), 39, 40, 41 and 42. The last four sections had 96, 93, 90 and 84 acres respectively, but were reduced to 80 acres each. Parklands, streets, squares, reserves and roads were excluded from the land grant.

PIVOTAL POINT

The water frontage blocks became the pivotal point round which all subsequent ballots hinged. The holders at the time of any ballot were to be considered the rightful participants. The first ballot must have taken place on or before April 5, 1839, for on that date the official list of owners of water frontages was prepared.

The list of proprietors is too long for publication, they deserve honor, but the greater honor is to the original subscribers. C. Smith is shown as holding 20 blocks, C. Smith & Co. 2, B. Shaen 25, W. F. Porter 6, H. Hawson 8, Porter and Hawson 1, J. E. Barnard 5, J. Stuckey 4, O. Gilles 4, Rollason 4, W. Wyatt 4, T. and J. Shepherd 4, M. Smith 6, H. Giles 4, and 41 other proprietors holding three or a lesser number of blocks.

After the ballot had been taken it was found that the deepest water was at Kirton Point, so it was decided to cancel blocks one to 29 (north of Happy Valley) and substitute an equal number at the southern end. The holders of these blocks were allowed to participate in the ballot in the new situation, and, at the same time, any one dissatisfied with any other block allotted them could throw it up and participate in the ballot. This alteration accounts for the incongruity in the numbering on the plan, which departs from the regular sequence, as is shown elsewhere.

Before the second ballot could take place, the committee considered one or two points had to be settled with the Governor, so a deputation waited on him to ascertain his wishes, particularly as regards the 100 feet reserve along the coast. It appears that the association desired all the water frontages to abut on to the water line, which was contrary to the law of the land. The Governor, as Resident Commissioner, reporting to the Colonization Commissioners on the action taken by him. in response to this deputation wrote : "On the pressing application of influential commercial men, I have allowed of certain proportions of ground for buildings to have absolute water frontages ...... The advantage of this arrangement in the case of deep water close to the shore were set forth as so great that it appears to me to be a strong case for departure from the general rule." If the association desired absolute water frontages for the whole 167 blocks they were disappointed as the Governor would grant only a portion of them.

UNWISE CONCESSION

It seems a pity that the concession was granted, but it has to be remembered that the optimistic association pictured the foreshore in the then very near future as a busy seaport with extensive lines of wharves, docks, jetties, slips and so on. Probably during the time the second ballot was taking place Mr. Robert Cocks arrived at Port Lincoln to make an extensive examination of the surrounding district on behalf of the Adelaide Survey Association, but he was unable to find suitable land for their purposes.

The second ballot was conducted and a revised official list of proprietors (May 5, 1839) was issued, according to a plan approved by the Governor and Resident Commissioner. During the interim between these two ballots considerable changes had been made in the ownership, some names had disappeared and others took their place. The most important was that B. Shaen's name disappeared. The whole of his blocks were transferred in trust to J. Richardson, who in consequence is shown as holding 28 blocks. It is understood that Shaen was in financial difficulties, but he must have overcome them, for a short time afterwards the blocks were re-transferred to him.

Charles Smith and Henry Hawson were the trustees at the inception. They resigned and Osmond Gilles and John Knott and their heirs were appointed "to hold upon trust to convey the allotments to the person entitled thereto." Mr. Knott died and Osmond Gilles carried on until his death.

The committee of management for attending to the affairs of the association were George Stevenson, James W. Bligh, John Knott, Osmond Gilles, and John Hallett, with Henry Austin as secretary. He was subsequently followed by E. J. Barnard, and later by G. H. Barnard.

By July 17, 1839, the surveyor had the township blocks ready for the ballot, so on that date the distribution of 835 township blocks was made. It is clear that the method adopted, in connection with the ballot was, one receptacle containing tickets numbered from 1 to 167 and in a second receptacle tickets numbered from 168 to 1,000, and for every ticket drawn from the former, five were drawn from the other.

OWNERS CHANGE

Here again we find a considerable change in the ownership list. The South Australian Company by this time had acquired nearly all of Charles Smith's interests and B. Shaen had again recovered his blocks. At this stage of the scheme it had not been discovered that one number (553) had been omitted from the plan and that another number (833) had been duplicated. Neither had it been discovered that to follow the scheme of equal distribution required 1,002 water frontage and township blocks so someone had to go short in the ballot for the township blocks. Scrip at this time was issued to the proprietors for each water frontage and township block, and another one covering 21 acres for each water frontage held. These latter scrip would naturally have to be handed back when the subsequent ballots had taken place.

In March 1840, 48 rural sections of 20 acres each — that is an 80 acre government section divided into four parts — were ready for distribution and were balloted for on March 30. On August 10, 1840, the remainder of rural sections were dealt with and on November 11, 1840, the last ballot was held, covering the 167 one acre blocks on Boston Island. With this last ballot the first stage was completed. It was many years before all the transactions were completed.

The transfers to rightful owners took a long time, due no doubt to the carelessness in the proprietors to hand in their claims and papers. Even so late as 1860 an application was made to have land transferred. With the balloting of blocks— in a town that should rival the capital of the province even if it could not supercede it — naturally many transfers were made at enhanced prices.

The scheme must have been a sad disillusionment for the majority of the proprietors. Many had visions of a wonderful city, backed by a thriving population such as would be worthy of "the finest harbor in the world," but alas, except for a few township blocks, the town lands were practically valueless for nearly 70 years, by which time Colonel Light's prophecy that "some years hence it may be a valuable seaport, but that can only be after the colony has increased considerably," was on the way to being fulfilled.