THE PROVINCE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, A POTTED HISTORY

The province of South Australia, a potted history. Read more about the history of South Australia and about it’s thriving seafood industry on our website here.

South Australia was a unique colony within the British Empire. Unlike the older settlements on Australia’s eastern coast, it was established without the use of convict labour—a principle that was strongly upheld.

While historians continue to debate the long-term cultural and societal effects of this absence of a “convict stain,” the sense of distinctiveness remains a defining trait among South Australians even today.

The province was founded as a joint venture between the British Government, represented by the Governor, and the South Australian Colonisation Commission. However, the exact division of power between these two authorities was never clearly defined, leading to frequent tensions during the colony’s early years. To complicate matters further, some members of the Commission formed a joint-stock company in 1835 to generate funds through land sales, convincing the British Government of the colony’s economic viability. This enterprise, known as the South Australian Company, became the financial backbone of the settlement—constructing much of its early infrastructure and offering banking and other essential services. In 1836, the first three ships to depart Britain for South Australia—the John Pirie, Duke of York, and Cygnet—were either owned or chartered by this Company.

Systematic Colonisation

South Australia is often referred to as a “planned settlement” or even a “social laboratory,” representing a deliberate effort to create a better kind of colony, by 19th-century standards. It
emerged from growing criticism of other colonisation methods voiced by liberal thinkers in Britain during the 1820s and 1830s. One of the most influential voices was Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who, while imprisoned in Newgate in 1829, wrote A Letter from Sydney. In it, he outlined the principles of “systematic colonisation” that would shape South Australia’s foundation.

Key among these ideas were the insistence on free settlement, the sale—not granting—of land, and setting land prices high enough to achieve two goals: discouraging rapid land acquisition by labourers (thus ensuring a stable labour force) and generating revenue to fund assisted migration. The policy favoured young, able-bodied families as migrants, to maintain a gender balance and support the colony’s growth.

The South Australian Association, established in December 1833, became a driving force behind the colony’s creation. Its membership included many adherents of dissenting religious sects and individuals influenced by radical and utilitarian philosophies. Among its key members were Robert Gouger, a close associate of Wakefield, and Robert Torrens.

Many of these early advocates later joined the Board of the Colonisation Commission. These Dissenters—Protestants who had broken away from the Church of England—played a lasting role in shaping South Australia’s intellectual and political culture. Their influence was evident in the colony’s strong commitment to religious freedom and open political discourse.