Visits of Governors of State

It was fitting that the first Governor of South Australia should set his foot first on the shores of Port Lincoln harbor — a harbor that would vie with almost any in the world. Before going any further we are confronted with a puzzle : was Capt. John Hindmarsh Governor of South Australia on December 24, 1836? Parliamentary Paper No. 2 of 1899 giving a list of Governors of South Australia states that his term was from December 28, 1836. The London Gazette of February 2, 1836, states that " the King had been pleased to appoint John Hindmarsh Esq. Captain in the Royal Navy, to be Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of South Australia. "The "South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register" of June 3, 1837, reporting the proceedings on December 28, 1836 — in the Gazette portion — stated that "His Excellency John Hindmarsh . . . produced in Council this day (December 28) His Majesty's order in Council dated February 23, 1836, erecting South Australia into one Province."

GOVERNOR TAKES OATHS

The same paper states : "His Ex-cellency the Governor also produced His Majesty's letters patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland dated the 11th July, 1836, appointing Hix Excellency Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of South Australia and the prescribed oaths were then administered to His Excellency by the Colonial Secretary."

When Matthew Smith was welcoming Governor Gawler to Port Lincoln, in 1840, he said " . . . . Your Excellency as the first ruler of the Province who has visited this portion of the settlement." It would appear from the foregoing that Hindmarsh was Governor from February, 1836, but was without executive power until he took the oaths on December 28 of the same year. His Excellency Capt. John Hindmarsh was commander of the brig H.M.S. Buffalo which left Portmouth on July 23, 1836, but owing to perverse winds did not get away from St. Helens until August 4.

His orders were to call at Port Lincoln for information as to where the new settlement was to be. It has not been divulged why his first port of call should be Port Lincoln instead of Nepean Bay. Were the English officials of the opinion that Port Lincoln was the premier site for the capital ? We have three accounts of the Buffalo approaching land, firstly the log of the Buffalo ; secondly the journal of Young Bingham Hutchinson ; thirdly the diary of George Stevenson, private secretary to the Governor. These three diaries will be utilised in giving the following details.

At noon on December 20, 1836, the ships position was fixed, Cape Catastrophe being calculated N.65E., distant 45 miles. Some time in the afternoon, Cape Wiles was sighted on the larboard beam, 15 miles toward the N.N.E.

SHIP'S SLOW PROGRESS

On December 21 the Governor, not liking the name Cape Catastrophe for such a prominent point renamed it Cape Flinders after its discoverer; fortunately the name did not persist, so we still have Flinders's original name reminding us of the terrible calamity. At 6 p.m., a boat was lowered to see which way the current set; the boat indicated a slow westward one. The log of the Buffalo and the journal of Hutchison are very prosaic; Stevenson gives more personal details, the art of journalism standing him in good stead. Stevenson complained very bitterly of the slow progress of the ship, and also the seamanship of the Governor-Captain, but his word painting of the sky scenery is worth recording : "A far more magnificent and glorious sky tonight than ever we saw or conceived. A double rainbow with the full moon rising in the centre ; clouds of violet and silver : on the opposite side the sun setting in majesty 'mid clouds of every hue, from the darkest masses to the scarcely perceptible shade."

On December 22 Liguanea Island was about five miles to the north north west. The 23rd saw them tack-ing Isle Williams and at midnight, with a light wind, running between Grindal's and Taylor's Isles. A boat had been sent on ahead to sound. A porpoise was harpooned and hauled in. Hutchinson recorded having eaten a portion and remarked that it was not bad. Stevenson stated that for the three previous evenings they had neared the land too late to proceed, and in consequence had to tack back out to sea again, occupying the next day regaining their position ; insinuating that the captain was filling in time to make his word to the Colonization Commissioners good — they had been informed that the Buffalo could not reach Port Lincoln until December 22.

December 24 was a momentuous day. At 4 a.m. the ship was standing toward Port Lincoln, and at 8.30 o'clock working into Port Lincoln and Spalding Cove, where the Cygnet was at anchor. Capt. Lipson went on board the Buffalo at 10 a.m. Capt. Hindmarsh then went aboard the Cygnet, from which a party went on shore.

SITE FOR CAPITAL

When Lipson boarded the Buffalo he would have handed over Col. Light's letter, indicating that the capital would be on the east side of St. Vincent's Gulf. Stevenson's diary is again worth quoting: "Captain Lipson came on board and announced that Jones's Harbour in the Gulf St. Vincent is considered a desirable spot for our metropolis. Colonel Light's letter speaks in glowing terms of the place, and of the whole eastern shore of the Gulph, which he compares with Devonshire."

Then Stevenson records the various items of news retailed by Lipson and continued, "Landed with the Governor, Fisher and Lipson at the head of Spalding Cove. The land does not appear good ; it is covered with scrubby wood, and there is no water to be found. Picked up some specimens of limestone and feldspar. The rocks were chiefly pudding stone ; tea tree of New Holland growing in great abundance and a variety of samphire plant. The shells were very numerous, and the cuttle fish in great plenty."

Whether any other ships had been ordered to call at Port Lincoln is not recorded, but Stevenson regretted that no one was left behind to warn ships arriving from England where they should go. "This arrangement is quite a piece with all the others," he said.

The log of the Buffalo, to me, is somewhat difficult to understand, but Hutchinson records that after the Governor left the Buffalo, the ship was taken out into the Gulf, so at noon we have the ship's position as follows: — The north end of Thistle Island bore south, and the south point of Boston Island was south west by west. At 2 p.m. the Governor returned and the boat was lifted and shipped and a course set for Holdfast Bay.

Port Lincoln and its harbor had been left behind, but it is interesting to follow the ships during the next few days and the trouble the captain had to get away from Spencer's Gulf. The Cygnet joined the Buffalo. In the afternoon of the 24th, the ships were tacking against contrary winds. At 8 p.m. a small dangerous isle was seen close ahead on which the ship (Buffalo) nearly ran ashore. At 4 a.m. of Sunday, December 25, they were near Thistle Island. In the morning divine service was held and at 2 p.m. Capt. Lipson and family went on board to dine with the Governor. Stevenson caustically remarked : " Waiting for the Cygnet to come alongside. This is pushing on with a vengeance."

LARGE FIRES ASHORE

At 5 p.m. a reef of rocks showing above water was passed about eight miles from the north end of Wedge Island. Progress against head winds was slow. By noon of the 26th the Althorpes were distant 13 miles to the north east, and at 5 p.m. Capt. Hindmarsh went on board the Cygnet and returned at 6 o'clock. Hutchinson records seeing a large fire on shore. On the 27th a large fire was seen on Kangaroo Island. The Cygnet sent a boat with Lipson to ascertain what it was; knowing there were no natives on the island, it was considered that the fire may have been the work of the lost people from the Africaine, but the wind having fallen to a calm the boat's crew could not land. On the Buffalo it was suggested to the Governor-captain, that the fire might be a signal from the men who were lost when walking across Kangaroo Island to Nepean Bay. Stevenson records the Governor's reply. " Oh, they are dead long ago."

We can now leave the Buffalo on her way to Holdfast Bay and the famous 28th. The Buffalo did not have a long life after bringing the Governor to South Australia, being wrecked at Mercury Bay, New Zealand on July 28, 1840.

In a former article, reference was made to the Governor's views of Port Lincoln which he expressed in a letter to the Secretary of State ( January 6, 1837) and in a letter to Mr. G. F. Angas (January 5, 1837). Hindmarsh had some faith in the future of Port Lincoln, for in 1839, he (or his family) put £80 into the Port Lincoln Special Survey Association. Actually he had left the Colony seven or eight months before the special survey was mooted, but I understand Mrs. Hindmarsh re mained about two years longer. The amount paid in gave him three shares entitling him to 72 acres. The heel of the scrip book recently found among the papers of the late G. H. Barnard showed he was allotted town-ship half acre blocks Nos. 40, 77, 102, 815, 199, 196, 260, 207, 747, 660, 618, 668, 249, 594, 729, 651, 554 and 183. The first three mentioned were water frontages. He was issued with three scrips each for 21 acres of country land. Subsequent ballots gave him blocks Nos. 24, 92 and 137 of 20 acres each adjoining the township and Nos. 64, 106 and 123, each of one acre, on Boston Island.

Governor Hindmarsh's term of office was terminated on July 16, 1838. George Milner Stephen was made the officer administrating the Government until October 17, 1838, when Lieut.Col. George Gawler took over the reins of Government.

(Another instalment next week.)