Port Lincoln Nearly Capital of State

If Governor Hindmarsh had been successful in having his own way, Port Lincoln would have been the capital of South Australia. How his wishes, even his orders in this matter, were disregarded by the first Surveyor-General (Col. Light) who fixed the site of the capital at Adelaide, are told by Mr. J. D. Somerville in the following interesting article.

A highly interesting and educational book has just been issued on the "Life and Letters of Col. William Light," by Miss M. P. Mayo (published by Preece and Sons, Adelaide), which pays high tribute to our first Surveyor-General. Miss Mayo has diligently spent the last five years in research and writing the history. She has had a difficult task, to give her views without recapitulating the incidents that have been narrated in former books dealing with various sections of his life. Those books are Light's own "Brief Journal," published in 1839. This was recently reprinted in the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society (S.A. Branch) and at the same time Thomas Gill added the "Life of Light" as far as he could trace it. Then came the "Founders of Penang and Adelaide" by Steuart, and lastly Grenfell Price with "Founders and Pioneers of South Australia". All these books except the last named are unprocurable by the general reader, and it seems a pity that Miss Mayo could not have introduced more points of interest from the earlier books than she has done, but she advised the writer that she "endeavored to record what seemed essential to an understanding of Light's character, difficulties and achievements."

It is not purposed to review the very entertaining and instructive book, but only to note some references to Port Lincoln. As a preliminary it may be said that while the writer was delving into documents of the early days of Eyre Peninsula at the Archives, Miss Mayo was frequently met there, with her reams of papers and notes; laboriously writing, collating and annotating. So it was almost as an old friend I approached her for permission to make extracts from the recently published book, for use of the 'Times ' ; which permission was immediately and willingly given. This is the first time that anything approaching the whole life of Light has been made available to the public of South Australia, and the book should be in the hands of every one who is at all interested in history, particularly in the colonisation of South Australia.

Port Lincoln is referred to frequent ly throughout the book, but it is only with two or three of these I wish to refer.

Light To Select Capital

Captain John Hindmarsh as Governor and Col. William Light as Surveyor-General, were formerly gazetted to their positions on the second and fourth of February, 1836, respectively, although both had practically received their appointments much earlier. They both had been in the employ of the Khedive of Egypt immediately before being appointed. Hindmarsh was to be the representative of the Crown in the new province, and Light was under the jurisdiction of the Colonisation Commissioners for South Australia. This peculiar dual control being the outcome of Wakefield's scheme of colonisation. The Commissioners taking the place of a chartered company as was originally proposed. The Colonisation Commissioners had the power to dispose of all lands, which of course entailed the location and survey of the various sections.

They had most emphatically reserved to their Surveyor-General (Light) the duty of selecting the "first town." There seems to be little doubt but that Hindmarsh was aware of this final arrangement. The Commissioners had told him sometime previously that the Governor's appointment was "subject to the conditions of non interference with the officers appointed to execute the survey and to dispose of the public land." Hindmarsh, in his own mind, considered that as Governor he had the power and right to select. This view is shown in the following extract from a letter from Light to the Colonisation Commissioners, dated December 5, 1837 :

"Three days before I sailed from London, he (Hindmarsh) sent for me and gave me strict orders to place the town at Port Lincoln and for these reasons : first, the port was so fine, and next, there were so many islands close to it, all of which could be immediately fortified and thus ensure all colonists places of retreat and defence in cases of attack" (p. 227). Col. Light's reply is not known, but we know the instruction was not carried out, and Light ascribes the future disagreement to have "arisen from the Governor's jealousy at the power of selection being placed in my hands and his anger at my not obeying his orders."

In February, 1837, Hindmarsh tried to reconcile himself with Light and then he made a statement that is not understandable, because Stevenson, his private secretary, during the voyage of the Buffalo, had informed the Governor that among the papers in their possession were the instructions issued by the Colonisation Commission to Light in which it was shown that the task of selecting the first town was given to him (Light). He could talk it over with the Governor or consult him, but if his views did not coincide with those of Hindmarsh, he was to ignore them and go his own way. One wonders if Hindmarsh considered why the copy of instructions to Light were sent to him. He did not look at them or read them, or if he did, was he trying to delude himself that he had not seen them ?

However in the letter of attempted reconciliation, Hindmarsh wrote : "for remember and wonder at this, I have never seen Mr. Fisher's instructions nor yours. What sort of a position am I then placed in ?" (p. 206). This is a remarkable statement to make, and I cannot suggest any solution other than above suggested.

Plans For Layout Of Port Lincoln

Hindmarsh still had a leaning towards Port Lincoln, for Gouger (to Light) records later on, "once when his (Hindmarsh's) ire was greatly kindled he said that 'rather than have the capital at the place you fixed upon (Adelaide) he would order all the Government officers on board the Buffalo and sail away with them to Port Lincoln'."

In my manuscript history of Port Lincoln settlement (copy in the Port Lincoln Institute), it was recorded that someone had said that Light had planned and laid out Port Lincoln. The author of that statement, although he thought he was writing the truth did not known how near to the truth it might have been. S. P. Winter was the actual surveyor and there nothing to say that he was not the planner as well. It will be remembered that McLaren went to see Light to discuss Port Lincoln prior to visiting the place in February, 1839, to investigate the country for the purpose of putting in a claim for a special survey for the S.A. Company. It will also be remembered that the Port Lincoln Special Survey Association was formed (22/2/1839)— during the absence of McLaren, for the purpose of claiming a special survey at Port Lincoln — to debar the S.A. Company from getting the pick of the land. Smith and Haw son as trustees paid in £4,000 in cash and land orders on February 23 (a Saturday). Mr. John Knott was one of the original subscribers to the fund, having paid in £24 on the 23rd. He was appointed on the committee of management, and subsequently on the resignation of Smith and Hawson, became co-trustee with Osmond Gilles. After Light had resigned from the position of Surveyor-General he formed a company, taking on some of his former colleagues, Finniss, Nixon, Jacob and Thomas, as partners and traded under the name of Light, Finnis & Co.

By 1839 Light's health was so bad that he virtually only became consultant for the firm. Between the date of the fateful meeting of 22/2/1839 and 27/2/1939, apparently Mr. Knott, on behalf of the committee of the Port Lincoln Special Survey Association, saw Finnis and as the outcome of his request we get the interesting letter from Light to Knott, which with Miss Mayo's permission is reproduced in full.

Light's Health Fails

The letter written from Theberton Cottage on February 28, 1839, stated : "Mr. Finniss called here the other day and mentioned a wish on the part of the committee for the Port Lincoln Special Survey, that I should proceed thither for the purpose of marking out a town for them in Boston Bay. After some conversation, I assented, provided my services would not be required before April. I promised to give a written answer yesterday, but was so unwell the whole day that I could not. I nave been reconsidering the matter and, I must confess I feel great reluctance in undertaking this task. My mind has already been so much harassed on the subject of survey and my health so broken, that could never do justice to my employers, and to speak candidly it would be next thing to robbery to undertake a job that would be much better performed by another. I feel much flattered by the gentlemen of the committee selecting me for such important business, and if strength and ability would permit, it should be performed with pleasure, but I also feel I am bound in honor to confess my unfitness, circumstanced as I am from various causes. Pray do me the favor to communicate the subject of this letter to the committee. You know how necessary quietness is for me at present." (P. 249.)

It will be noticed that the cottage was named 'Theberton,' after the house where Light spent his boyhood years in England. During the passage of time, the spelling of the word has altered to Thebarton as used in the township. What an extraordinary position; first to be approached by McLaren on behalf of the S.A. Company and then three weeks afterwards, during McLaren's absence, to be asked by an association which virtually "jumped" the S.A. Company's claim to survey the township — and still yet another to come. Light in his last diary, which was printed by the Royal Geographical Society (S.A. Branch) three years ago, makes no mention of the visit of Finniss nor of writing the reply to Knott. It is interesting to read some of the remarks in the diary, during the period of February 23 to 28 : —

Saturday, 23rd — Extremely hot all day, one of those detestable days that render this climate most disagreeable. Could do nothing all day for heat.
Sunday, 24th — Most disagreeable, at 6 p.m. rained hard.
Monday, 25 — Muggy and unpleasant. Slept in new cottage.
Tuesday — Muggy weather. Very ill all day, very ill at night.
Wednesday — Dark gloomy weather. Very unwell all day.
Tuesday 28— Blowing hard and squally. At home all day. Nothing done being too unwell. At night very fine.

After the fire of January 22, Light lived in some outbuildings at 'Theberton' until February 25, when he shifted into the new cottage.

Town Surveyed by S. P. Winter

The condition laid down by Light — not to start work until April — was not acceptable to the association, so Mr. S. P. Winter was engaged for the work. G. S. Kingston, who went to England a little while previously to urge for an increased staff for the Survey Department in Adelaide, had selected Winter. Light in one of his letters shows that the Colonisation Commissioners paid Winter the miserable salary of £120 per annum.?

Light's services were in great demand, for on March 1, 1839, he had a visit from a Mr. Imlay, possibly also to talk about Port Lincoln, for the newspapers of the following day stated that the Imlays wanted to put in a claim for a special survey at Boston Bay, but found they were too late.

Miss Mayo records that Morphett "acting for an association of English capitalists endeavored to secure his (Light's) service in search for a suitable site for a port and maritime town." At the present time there is nothing to indicate where this port was to be, but possibly the trips made by Stephens and Hill along the west coast in March-April and September in 1839, were sponsored by that English association.

It will be remembered that Stephens and Hill reported results of their trips to John Morphett. Again Light's health prevented him from undertaking the task, although he agreed when first approached. Light had a strenuous battle to substantiate his claim that the site he had selected for the 'first town ' was the best, and in the next to the last letter reproduced by Miss Mayo from him, dated March 23, 1839, to Colonel Palmer, one of the Colonisation Commissioners, he wrote: — "The grand cry is now for Port Lincoln, and the beauties of that place with all its eligibilities will be blazoned out in the 'South Australian Gazette,' in order to set people's minds against this, but time will yet prove that although Port Lincoln is a fine port and will perhaps be the Plymouth of South Australia, yet the site of Adelaide is the best for tbe capital." (P. 253.) This appears to have been the end of Light's connection with Port Lincoln.

Appreciative thanks are tendered to Miss Mayo for her book on Light, fall of details and revealing such a lot of history that was not known publicly before ; and for her permission to make the extracts for use in this article.