````````````````````````` History South Australia - Adelaide Park Lands public nomination June 2004 - Chronology 2

SA
Foundation
Act
passed

Roebuck's
pamphlet
Extracts from
The Public National Heritage List Nomination - July 2004

The Adelaide Park Lands & Colonel Light's Plan

Social & Political chronology 1831 - 1836

1831
1st August NSW Free Land Grants discontinued, replaced by sale by Auction - minimum 5/- an acre. (introduced Tasmania June 1831 and WA January 1832).
Prime Minister Earl Grey and Lord Goderich set this price from the recommendations of the National Colonization Society of 1830 i.e., on the advice of the founders of South Australia.
60,000 die in Cholera epidemics in Manchester and London

1832
First Reform of Parliament pushed through by the philosophic radicals
(Whig Prime Minister Earl Grey) - jobbery, corruption and patronage rife in Parliament, the Colonial Office and the Rotten Boroughs.
Loudon publishes Green-house companion:

1833
Slavery in the British Empire ended - transportation is now deemed a form of 'slavery'
Chartism agitations - The People's Charter issued
Public cemeteries introduced - first is Kensal Green, then Norwood
Slaney (MP for Shrewsbury, social reformer, friend of Roebuck) introduces Public Walks legislation

27th November 1833
Gouger forms the South Australian Association
to found a colony in southern Australia

26th December first Provisional Committee meeting includes Roebuck and Southwood Smith

1834
30th June 1834, The South Australian Association's famous public meeting at Exeter Hall.
The Poor Laws Act passed - workhouses take over caring for the poor from the church.
Chadwick, a public health pioneer, shows the relationship between insanitary housing and excessive sickness and mortality.
4th August Parliament debates - Ellenborough's Enclosure bill for Common Fields defeated.

12th August 1834 The South Australian Literary & Scientific Association is formed -
first meeting 14 Founding Committee and 40 Members.
Objects:--"Cultivation and Diffusion of Useful Knowledge Throughout the Colony" ...by ..."A Library of Reference & Circulation" and Lectures etc.
1st Lecture - R.D. Hanson on Founding the New Colony of SA.
Meetings and lectures continued until December 1835 on a wide variety of subjects, all of historical interest in the Building of the Australian Nation

15th August, 1834 South Australian Foundation Act passed
- Whitmore and Wellington facilitate (reason why Squares named after them) - this was the last session of the Reformed Parliament.
16th September - 120 volumes presented to the SA Literary & Scientific Association by Robert Gouger - he is made South Australia's first Life Member of any organisation.
These 120 volumes encompass the then known geographical, land systems, Native inhabitants, constitutional histories, emigration schemes, explorations, maps and statistics of all British, Canadian and Australian Colonies to that time.
October - SA Literary & Scientific Assoc - Thomas Heaphy gives two lectures on landscape Gardening
Loudon publishes Architectural magazine, and journal of improvement in architecture, building, and furnishing, and in the various arts and trades connected therewith...

1835
The 10 Commissioners of South Australia appointed on the recommendations of the S.A. Association Committee--Gouger, Torrens and Brown.
The Municipal Corporations Reform Act passed to get rid of the 'rotten boroughs' - jobbery, corruption, nepotism, cronyism, patronage, conflict of interest, rife
7th August Lecture before the Sa Literary & Scientific Assoc - Robert Owen read a paper on The Influence of Literature on the institutions of Nations, & habits of the people.
Higgins had formed a Society for the protection of the Aborigines of South Australia.

Roebuck's pamphlet - On the Amusement of the Aristocracy and of the People - an elaboration of his call for a public trust, 'to prevent by law if necessary the rights of the common people from being swept away at the hand of the proprietor who would enclose the land round our towns for his own future profit, and the pseudo-builder who would cover it with ugliness'.

1836
19th February, 1836 South Australia erected a Province by King William Letters Patent Act No. 4.
By Act No. 5, King William was "empowered" to erect SA a Province - see 1831 prerogatives of the Crown changed
23rd February, Order-in-Council enabling the formation of the Executive Local Government by the Governor AND Council issued. To take effect on a quorum of 3 of 5 Executive Officers being resident in the new colony and on oath being taken) - the Governor had to be one of the three.

(These conditions were met when Governor Hindmarsh and Resident Commissioner Fisher arrived at Gouger's* camp at the 'Old Gum Tree' on the 28th December, 1836 - the day the Government was inaugurated and our OWN laws under our first unique Constitution commenced).
(*Robert Gouger had been appointed Colonial Secretary and Resident Magistrate - it was his duty to issue the oaths constituting the government).

Prints
as 2 pages

Please email for more specific reference

© K.Crilly
Unpublished manuscript
The Origins and Creation of the People's Park Lands of Adelaide

Notes