Precis 20 21 22

Early Days on Eyre Peninsula 20, 21, 22

HOME AUTHORITIES OPPOSE SCHEME

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT SITE FOR CAPITAL

By J. D. Somerville

In this series of historical articles, I have endeavored to make them more readable, by providing a “Readers’ Digest” version of each article for you, along with a link to the original.. This is necessary as Somerville was often pedantic, and some of his writing being overly detailed or quite arcane. In this post, I have combined three of his sequential articles in the digest format, along with links to the full articles, if you choose to explore further.

… " either Kangaroo Island or Port Lincoln will probably be fixed on for the site of the first settlement."

Nothing daunted at their previous failures, the supporters of the colonisation scheme in 1832, formed themselves into a society, under the title of " The South Australian Society." … The details showed that the company intended to raise a capital fund of £500,0000 in shares of £50 each. Lord Goderich's reply was … the scheme "must now be considered as virtually abandoned."

ADVANCE OF £100,000

A second pamphlet in connection with the colonisation scheme is dated 1832 and is headed, "Evidence respecting the soil, climate and production of the South Coast of Australia." Wakefield in the same year stated that a body of intending settlers offered to advance £100,000 as the purchase money of land. …

Whitmore, favoring the vicinity of Kangaroo Island and the Murray, obtained a copy of Sturt's journal. As a result of the new knowledge gained, the provisional committee of the South Australian Land Company passed a resolution that " the evidence this submitted in respect of the soil, climate and productions of Kangaroo Island and the shores of the Murray River and Lake Alexandrina, is sufficient to warrant the formation of a colony in these lands with all possible expedition."

… Gouger, in 1833, heads his journals as a " renewal of the attempt to form a colony in Spencer's Gulf."

POSITION CHANGED

The position as regards forming a settlement in South Australia had undergone a considerable change since 1831. In that year Barker made his memorable discoveries on the east side of St. Vincent's Gulf, but they were apparently unknown in England until 1833.

Barker on his return from, Western Australia to New South Wales was instructed to examine the Gulf and the land between it and the Murray, to see if there was an outlet from the Murray into the Gulf. In his examination of the Gulf he landed at Port Noarlunga(?) and from there walked up the hills to Mount Lofty, where he had a magnificent view of the Gulf, the plains, and the inlet (afterwards Port Adelaide). He had not seen the inlet when making his examination by sea, so when he returned to his boat, he explored the opening. Barker then travelled overland, possibly from or near Yankalilla, to the Murray mouth where he was speared by the natives. …

STURT'S INFORMATION

Sturt had only seen the land adjacent to the Murray, but he had collected a lot of information from ships' captains, whalers, and so on, and he was so convinced of its accuracy that he wrote [glowingly] … that the area around Port Adelaide would be suitable for a capital.

Not disheartened by previous rebuffs, but cheered by the better news disseminated by Sturt, the advocates for the settlement made yet another attempt. In December, 1833, the South Australian Association was formed by the efforts of Wakefield, Gouger and others, to carry out Wakefield's scheme for colonisation. …

The Colonial Office, under Stanley, was entirely opposed to the scheme unless the company would undertake to buy sufficient land to make the scheme effective, and unless the English Government had complete control. …

Read the full (first of three) article at https://sites.google.com/.../home-authorities-oppose-scheme

CLAIMS FOR COMPANY NOT RECOGNISED

Having abandoned the idea of a chartered colony, the South Australian Association continued its existence, to further the aims of colonisation …

The association issued a pamphlet during 1834 entitled "outline of the plan of a proposed colony to be founded on the South coast of Australia." … “we may hope that in the course of time, it may become one of the finest colonies in the British Dominions."

TERMS OF NEW PROPOSAL

The new proposal was that Parliament should pass an Act creating South Australia a Crown Colony, incorporating Wakefield's scheme of land sales and emigration. The Government required guarantees that the soil, climate and water were suitable, that persons with £50,000 were ready to embark, and that sufficient funds were available to support the Government for three years. It also required that a land fund of £35,000 should be in existence, that is, that £35,000 worth of land should be sold and paid for. …

So quickly did Parliament work and so little obstruction was offered, that on August 15, 1834, the Act for the establishment of South Australia became law. A Board of Commissioners was constituted to deal with the sale of land, survey and emigration, and shortly afterwards a governor was appointed.

The next step was to carry out the provisions of the Act, and the necessary guarantees. Encountered… [they needed to ] consider the formation of the "South Australian Company," — not "association"; they were two separate bodies, one a private business concern and the other an advisory society. …

CHANCE FOR SPECULATORS

George Fife Angas and Robert Gouger saw a splendid chance for speculation and for flotation of companies. … With such a prospect the public immediately rushed to participate in the scheme. … The applications were subsequently referred to as preliminary land grants, and the holders of them had priority in selecting their sections. …

PRICE OF LAND REDUCED

The board in the first instance rejected Angas's offer, as well as the reduction in the price of the land. But in going into details and trying to decide the applications, it was found that many of the applicants could not or would not be able to meet the necessary payments, so after consideration the board decided to cancel their previous decision and to reduce the price of land to 12/ per acre, being the minimum price mentioned in the Act, …

SPECIAL SURVEY SYSTEM

Before leaving the subject of the South Australian Company, it is as well to notice that under an agreement the company would purchase additional land before March 1836. The board introduced, at the company's wish, a system of special surveys.

This clause in the land regulations played an important part in the history of Port Lincoln. It created a lot of extra work on surveys and the general work of the colony, so that when the British Government took more definite control, the Secretary of State suspended the regulation. …

Read the full (second) article at https://sites.google.com/view/early-days-of-eyre-peninsula/claims-for-company-not-justified

SURVEY INSTRUCTIONS TO COL. LIGHT

The first Board of Commissioners, consisting originally of 10 members, was appointed in April, 1835, and held office until January 8, 1840, when a new system of control was inaugurated. The necessary guarantees were fulfilled by December 20, 1835. The appointment of John Hindmarsh as Governor was gazetted on February 22, 1836, therefore immediate preparations were made for the despatch of the various contingents.

The Board of Commissioners in framing general information respecting the colony, as late as February, 1836, stated that "certain spots which appear to be most favored by nature will be carefully surveyed by qualified persons, who will precede the large body of emigrants, and who will have authority to determine the first place of settlement ; this will probably be in the neighborhood of Spencer's Gulf or Gulf St. Vincent." … [details the despatch of the first expeditionary fleet]

ARRIVAL OF VESSELS

… The Buffalo arrived December 24 (Port Lincoln), December 28 (Holdfast Bay)]...

Three of the company's boats had arrived by the middle of August, and the passengers were waiting impatiently [at Holdfast Bay] for Light and for the survey of the land so that they could be placed on their new selections.

… Nepean Bay, in Kangaroo Island, was fixed as the rendezvous for all boats except the Buffalo, which was directed to Port Lincoln.

.. The board instructed [Light] after arrival in South Australia to "proceed to make a careful examination of the coast of the central part of the colony .... Your attention will be particularly directed to Nepean Bay and Port Lincoln...” … There now seems to be little doubt that the present Port Adelaide harbor is what the Commissioners desired Light to examine.

LIGHT'S BIG TASK

On finding a good harbor, the contiguous country was to be carefully examined, and when the surveys or examinations were completed, Light was instructed to compare the several sites and to determine which should be the site of the first town, " a duty which you are hereby fully authorized and required to discharge...."

Light was to confer with the Governor, paying due regards to his opinions and suggestions, but "with-out, however, yielding to any influence which could have the effect of divesting you in any way of the whole responsibility of the decision."

The commissioners then enumerated the qualifications that a first town should possess : —

(1) A commodious harbor, safe and accessible at all seasons of the year;

(2) a considerable tract of fertile land immediately adjoining ;

(3) an abundant supply of fresh water ;

(4) facilities for internal communication ;

(5) facilities for communication with other parts ;

(6) distance from the limit of the colony as a means of avoiding interference from without in the principles of colonization ;

(7) the neighborhood of extensive sheep walks.

The above were stated to be of primary importance, and the following of secondary value : —

[8] A supply of building material, as timber, stone or bricks, earth and lime ;

(9) facilities for drainage ;

(10) coal.

VALUE OF HARBOR

…the commissioners leaned toward the east coast (St. Vincent's Gulf), but still left it open for Light to investigate Port Lincoln and other sites.

Another important instruction to Light was that in all his surveys he had to reserve as a public road all lands on the coast within not less than 100 feet of high water mark, and to reserve a road at least 66 feet wide along each side of every navigable river, around every lake or sheet of water, whose surface was not included in the adjoining section or sections. …

Commissioners first report to His Majesty's Government, dated June 14, 1836: "…We know that Nepean Bay affords a good and commodious anchorage for ships of burthen ; that Port Lincoln is one of the finest harbours in the world ; and that in either of these situations a first settlement might be formed, and the seat of the government established. But for anything which we at present know to the contrary, there may be on the long, deeply indented coast situations more eligible than either Nepean Bay or Port Lincoln; and it is of the utmost importance that the first settlement should be formed not merely in a good situation, but in the best situation ..”

SURVEY TOO HURRIED

“... the commissioners failed in one course in not allowing Light more time for his survey. Probably they were not to blame, but were forced into the position by circumstances over which they had no control. The South Australian Company had sent out two boats before the survey party. Emigrants were awaiting the arrival of the surveyors. Light knew that in the course of two or three months after his arrival, the Governor would arrive and would expect to have the site of the new settlement practically settled and only awaiting his approval.

The commissioners were well aware that "an injudicious selection of the site of the first settlement would probably retard the prosperity of the colony for years, and would seriously disappoint the hopes of the first purchasers of land…”

Further, a large number of the purchasers of the preliminary land orders had sold out in Britain, and were impatiently waiting to leave for the new settlement and were expecting to get on to the land immediately. The commissioners knew that the original promoters of the scheme intended that the Chief Surveyor should select the site, and they concurred and adopted the same idea. They agreed that the site should be submitted to the Governor, but why this was necessary is hard to understand, as he had no veto. The responsibility was with the Chief Surveyor ; as it was stated, " all the credit of success and all the discredit of failure will belong to him alone."

Read the full (third) article at https://sites.google.com/.../survey-instructions-to-col...

The next installment is entitled “What Colonel Light Thought of Port Lincoln”