South Australia - Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh

"Proclamation of South Australia" Artist: Charles Hill circa 1856.

"In announcing to the Colonists of His Majesty's Province of South Australia, the establishment of the Government, I hereby call upon them to conduct themselves on all occasions with order and quietness, duly to respect the laws, and by a course of industry and sobriety, by the practice of sound morality and a strict observance of the Ordinances of Religion, to prove themselves worthy to be the founders of a great and free Colony.

It is also, at this time especially, my duty to apprise the Colonists of my resolution, to take every lawful means for extending the same protection to the Native Population as to the rest of His Majesty's Subjects, and of my firm determination to punish with exemplary severity all acts of violence or injustice which may in any manner be practised or attempted against the natives, who are to be considered as much under the safeguard of the law as the Colonists themselves and equally entitled to the privileges of British Subjects.

I trust therefore, with confidence to the exercise of moderation and forebearance by all Classes, in their intercourse with the Native Inhabitants, and that they will omit no opportunity of assisting me to fulfil His Majesty's most gracious and benevolent intentions towards them by promoting their advancement in civilisation, and ultimately, under the Blessing of Divine Providence, their conversion to the Christian Faith."

Historical Background to the Founding of Adelaide The following extract is drawn from "A Short History of Australia" by Ernest Scott (1868-1939), Professor of History, Melbourne University. "The Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars had thrown Europe into disorder for a quarter of a century, and parallel with them went the creation of the great change in conditions of manufacture which is known as the "Industrial Revolution". The new system, while it made employers rich, plunged the mass of the working classes into deep poverty. Pauperism was 'breaking down the country', though the total wealth of England was increasing enormously. Wages were miserably low, food was dear, and there was not sufficient employment to absorb the thousands who saw their old hand-industries rapidly disappearing in consequence of the application of steam-driven machinery to production. Emigration was advocated as a remedy for these painfully manifest ills. England was believed to be over-populated. But she had vast empty possessions oversea. These could be used to relieve the pressure at home. But there was a desire to use them in a systematic, scientific manner. The time was ripe for someone to show how this was to be done. The man who came forward with the most convincing plan was Edward Gibbon Wakefield. This ingenious and persuasive writer (who had spent some time in Newgate prison, whither he had been consigned for marrying a ward in chancery), published in 1829 a little book called "A Letter from Sydney", which immediately captivated the minds of many politicians and officials who were searching about for a rational theory of colonization. It was. written in so attractive and vivid a style that not only contemporaries, but some later historians also, thought that it proceeded hot from the personal experience of one who had studied Australian conditions on the spot. Thus, Sir Spencer Walpole, in his "History of England"(Vol VI p360), stated that 'the letter was written from Sydney.' But, in fact, Wakefield had never been to Sydney, nor to any other colony. He wrote his little book in London; but he was so plausible that he made people believe that he was describing what he had observed. Wakefield wrote numerous articles and letters in public journals, and discussed his ideas with prominent men, until quite a large party was formed which believed in him as the genius who had at last given to the world the true and only plan of founding and working a colony on sound lines. The "Wakefield Principle" was the very opposite of the plan which Thomas Peel had tried to carry out in his Western Australian colony; and, as the news of that failure was being much discussed in the very year when the "A Letter from Sydney" was published, Wakefield and his supporters were able to stress the virtues of their own theory. Peel had sought to attract settlers by the offer of an abundance of cheap land. The very essence of Wakefield's system was that land in a new colony should never be sold cheaply, but always at a 'sufficient price.' In 1830 Wakefield formed a Colonization Society to carry out his ideas; and, by chance in the same year news arrived of Charles Sturt's great boat journey down the Murray and his discovery of great areas of fertile land in the basin of that river. Here, then, were (1) a man with a theory; (2) an organization formed to give effect to it; (3) an unoccupied territory where there was scope for an experiment; and (4) a strong public feeling in favour of a scientific immigration policy. South Australia was the result. Wakefield had made a sufficient impression to convince everybody that old modes of colonization were wrong, but not enough to convince the Government and Parliament that his own mode was inevitably right. Moreover, the Colonial Office was here, as in Western Australia and later at Port Phillip, strongly opposed to expansion in Australia. 'The Secretary of State,' wrote the chief official in 1830,'does not feel at liberty at the present moment to hold out any encouragement to schemes which have for their object the extension of the number of His Majesty's settlements abroad, and which, whether formed in the outset by individuals or the Government, are always liable to end in becoming in some way or other a source of expense to the revenue of this country.' This antipathy was the first barrier which had to be broken down. Wakefield decided to proceed by means of a chartered company, and the South Australian Land Company was formed for this purpose (1831). But the Colonial Office objected to 'transfer to the company of the sovereignty of a vast unexplored territory,' and the negotiation broke down. In 1833 the South Australian Association took up the problem, still under Wakefield's inspiration, and with the active aid of such influential Englishmen as George Grote, the historian of Greece, Sir William Molesworth, and the Duke of Wellington. The Government, under pressure of opinion, at length agreed that a new colony should be founded, but would not grant a charter to the company, and insisted that the colony should be placed under a Governor appointed by the Crown. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1834 establishing the colony of South Australia, with a "Governor" to preside over it, but also with a body of 'Commissioners' who were to finance the concern by raising a loan, and were to control the sale of land, which was not to be disposed of for less than 12s. per acre. The transportation of convicts was expressly barred. The whole project would have collapsed for lack of financial backing but for the exertions of George Fife Angas, a wealthy and influential merchant who had taken great interest in it and was appointed a member of the Board of Commissioners. A capital of 200,000 pounds was required to float the colony. The Exchequer opposed Government aid, and rich philanthropists did not offer to back the venture. 'Without some association to assist the commissioners,' Angas said, 'I do not see how the Act is to be carried into effect.' He therefore formed a company with the requisite working capital 'The South Australian Company', of which Angas himself was the chairman. It was this company, not the Government, not the Commissioners, which really founded South Australia; and of course those who invested their money in it looked for a reward. Sir Charles Napier, who had written a book on colonization, was offered the governorship; but he foresaw that there would be financial difficulties, and would not accept the post unless he were given some troops and authority to draw on the British Treasury 'in case of necessity.' The Government, however, did not intend to accept any financial obligations, and declined Napier's terms; whereupon he refused office and went to India. The governorship was then accepted by Captain Hindmarsh RN, who had been one of Nelson's officers at the battle of the Nile. Two ship-loads of colonists left England in 1836, and arrived at Kangaroo Island (the proposed site) in July of that year.

"Col William Light's Sketch of Adelaide site"

Nobody had been sent in advance to find out whether Kangaroo Island was a suitable place for settlement. All that the promoters knew about it they had learnt from the description of Flinders in his "Voyage to Terra Australis", and from the artist Westall's charming drawings, prepared as illustrations to that work. On the strength of that meagre amount of knowledge they had circulated a little book to attract immigrants, illustrated with an idyllic picture, and an assurance that in this abode of bliss, where kangaroos and emus placidly grazed under palm-trees, 'there would be little more revolting to the feelings of an immigrant than if he had merely shifted his residence from Sussex to Cumberland or Devonshire.' But the first immigrants found Kangaroo Island no more suitable for founding a colony than Peel's people had found Garden Island seven years before. When Colonel William Light, with his surveying party, arrived in the "Rapid" in August he saw at once that this would never do.   He therefore commenced to search for a better place.  Having

"Port Lincoln by William Westall"

rejected "Port Lincoln" owing to its arid environment, and made an examination of St. Vincent's Gulf, he determined that the best available site was that upon which the city of Adelaide was afterwards reared. When Governor Hindmarsh arrived in the "Buffalo" in December he was ill pleased with the choice. A muddy creek, sending its trickle of water through a mangrove swamp, afforded no fitting spot for the capital of a colony. There was not a good natural harbour, and Colonel Light's city-area was seven miles from the sea. There was bitter controversy over the site question. Hindmarsh favoured "Encounter Bay", others preferred "Port Lincoln". But Light persisted that his choice was the right one; and, as the final authority in this matter had been entrusted to him, his view prevailed. Light undoubtedly saw further and clearer into the future than his critics did, and probably nobody nowadays would assert that he was wrong. In fact, Hindmarsh, though he publicly sided with Light's opponents, wrote in quite a different strain to London. The city site, he said, in a

letter to Angas, was 'on the bank of a beautiful stream, with thousands of acres of the richest land I ever saw; altogether a more beautiful spot can hardly be imagined.' The city was named Adelaide, after the Queen, at the express wish of William IV (actually proposed by Sir John Hindmarsh see below).

But the quarrels over this issue developed into others. The Governor and the representative of the Commissioners could not agree; and, as the latter were responsible for the business management of the colony, the Colonial Office recalled Hindmarsh in 1838. He was succeeded by Colonel George Gawler."

History has no doubt judged the rights and wrongs of these issues. Today it is abundantly clear that failure to give clear terms of reference to a commander - in this instance a Governor - is a failure of the authority.  In the "founding" of Adelaide there were two parties, the "Crown" - represented by the Governor - and The South Australian Company - represented by its nominees, Col Light and Commissioner James Fisher. The parties had different agendas: the Governor believed that his directive was to find a significant harbour and to site a town close to it to ensure its future prosperity. The Commission sought to site a town in a location that would be attractive to potential investors and landowners. Working to different agendas, the two parties were inevitably going to clash. An interesting footnote to this issue is provided by an article by the Editor of a South Australian newspaper circa 1905: "In my opinion Adelaide would have been a very different city today had his (Hindmarsh's) advice been taken. Victor Harbour was the spot, for he truly said 'no city could be great unless it was on an arm of the sea or a navigable river'. Adelaide can never hope to compare with Sydney or the other capitals, owing to the fact that it is seven miles from its port, a port too that will silt up till the crack of doom. I am convinced that Victor Harbour will yet be the state's principal port, for it must be if South Australia is to command the Murray and Darling trade."(Qoute from p140 "From Powder Monkey to Governor" FS Hindmarsh).