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First Fleet of South Australia facts for kids

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In 1836, at least nine ships in 1836 carried the first European settlers from England to the south coast of Australia for the establishment of the City of Adelaide and the province of South Australia. Although not all of the ships sailed together, they have been referred to as the "First Fleet of South Australia", as all were carrying the founding planners and administrators of the new colony as well as the first emigrants, and all were represented at the proclamation of the new province.

People

After a historic meeting at Exeter Hall on 30 June 1834, where the principles, objects, plan and prospects of the new Colony of South Australia were explained to the public, hundreds of enquiries from prospective immigrants started to arrive at the South Australian Association's headquarters in London.

The ships that sailed in 1836 would carry prospective emigrants as well as staff employed by the South Australian Company, a private business enterprise, and various appointees of the British Government to set up the new British Province of South Australia. Under the emigration scheme, labouring classes received free passage. They had to be between 15 and 30 years of age, preferably married, and needed two references. Steerage passengers paid £15-20, middle berth £35-40, and cabin class £70. Children under 14 years were charged £3 while those under 1 year were free.

Ships

In January 1836 four ships sailed from England on behalf of the South Australian Company, ahead of the planned expedition by the South Australian Colonization Commission, the board set up under the South Australia Act 1834. They developed a settlement at Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, in July 1836, but when farming proved unviable, both the settlement and the Company's operations were moved to the mainland.

Four of the ships were sent by the South Australian Company, three were chartered by the Colonization Commission, and the other two chartered privately. The ships began sailing from England in 1836 from January until about June, and arrived on the South Australian coast (all but one initially landing on Kangaroo Island) from July to December that year, with the new province proclaimed on 28 December at Glenelg.

It is difficult for scholars to arrive at a definitive list of pioneer ships given the lack of extant primary evidence due to poor record keeping and accidental loss of records. The following list is based on the best available records, ordered chronologically by date of arrival in South Australia.

Ship Type and
burthen (bm)
Master Departure date
(1836)
Nepean Bay
arrival date
(1836)
Holdfast Bay
arrival date
(1836)
Duke of York
37 passengers
Barque,* 197 tons Robert C. Morgan 5 April 27 July*
Known passengers:
  • T. Hudson Beare and four children
  • Lucy Ann Beare (died on K.I.)
  • Charlotte Hudson Beare
  • G. Massing
  • Israel Mazey
  • Thomas Mitchell
  • John Neale
  • Charles B. Powell
  • Robert Russell
  • D. H. Schreyvogel
  • Samuel Stephens
  • William West
Lady Mary Pelham
29 passengers
Barque,* 206 tons Robert Ross 7 April 28 July
Known passengers:
  • Cornelius Birdseye
  • Mrs. Birdseye
John Pirie
28 passengers
Schooner George Martin 22 February 16 August
Known passengers:
  • Henry Alford
  • Charles Chandler
  • Mrs. Martin
  • Charles Powell
  • Mrs. Powell
  • James Powell
  • Mary Ann Powell
  • Henry Simpson
Rapid
24 passengers
Brig,* 162 tons Col. William Light 2 August
Known passengers:
  • Alfred Barker
  • William Bell
  • William Bradley
  • Mrs. Bradley
  • Robert Buck, sen.
  • Robert Bruce Buck
  • William Chatfield
  • Joseph Childs
  • William Clampton
  • John Duncan
  • William G. Field, R.N.
  • William Freemantle
  • Edward Gandy
  • Maria Gandy (William Light's partner)
  • William Gandy
  • Thomas Gepp
  • George Goddard
  • Robert Goddard
  • Robert Keate Hill
  • William Hodges
  • William Jacob
  • William Lawes
  • James Lewis
  • George Mildred
  • Hiram T. Mildred
  • George Penton
  • William S. Pullen
  • John Frank Thorn
  • John Thorpe
  • William Tuckey
  • John Woodforde
Cygnet
84 passengers
Barque John Rolls 11 September 5 November
Known passengers:
  • E. Adams
  • James Adams
  • Mrs. Adams
  • William Adams
  • Mrs. Adams
  • John Afford
  • John Avery
  • Thomas Bell
  • Mrs. Bell
  • John Brinnan
  • Robert Bristow
  • Mrs. Bristow
  • Selby Brown
  • John Cannon
  • Samuel Chapman
  • Mrs. Chapman
  • John Corney
  • David Divine
  • Joseph Finch
  • B. T. Finniss
  • Mrs. Finniss
  • George Friend
  • Thomas Gilbert
  • John Goodman
  • William Green
  • Mrs. Green
  • Alfred Hardy
  • E. Harrington
  • A. Heath
  • James Hoare
  • Mrs. Hoare
  • G. S. Kingston
  • W. H. Kingston
  • John Levey
  • Berry Lipson
  • T. Lipson, R.N.
  • Mrs. Lipson
  • Emma Lipson
  • Eliza Lipson
  • Mary Lipson
  • John Locket
  • James Marshall
  • Mrs. Marshall
  • John Morphett
  • William H. Neale
  • Mrs. Neale
  • Henry Osborn
  • J. Osborn
  • Stephen Paris
  • Mrs. Paris
  • Charles Parrington
  • Edmund Parsons
  • Thomas Powis
  • Hugh Quin
  • Thomas W. Rogers
  • Basil Sladden
  • Isaac Sladden
  • Smythett Sladden
  • James Butler Stone
  • James Stubbington
  • Richard G. Symonds
  • William Teasdale
  • Robert G. Thomas
  • William S. Williams
  • Charles Wright
  • Dr. Edward Wright
  • Mrs. Wright
Emma
22 passengers
Barque John F. Nelson 5 October
Known passengers:
  • John Bennett
  • John Cranfield
  • Mrs. Cranfield
  • Henry Douglas
  • Charles S. Hare
  • Mrs. Hare
  • William Wilkins
  • Mrs. Wilkins
Africaine
76 passengers
Barque,* 346 tons John F. Duff 28 June 2 November 8 November
Known passengers:
  • John Demmett Bagg
  • John Brown
  • Mrs. Brown
  • Henry Bushell
  • Mrs. Bushell
  • Jeremiah Calnan
  • Mrs. Calnan
  • Margaret Clarke
  • James Coltman
  • Mrs. Coltman
  • Daniel Cox
  • James Cronk
  • Samuel East
  • Mrs. East
  • Dr. C. G. Everard
  • Mrs. Everard
  • William Everard
  • Robert Fisher
  • Arthur Gliddon
  • Robert Gouger
  • Mrs. Gouger
  • John Hallett
  • Mrs. Hallett
  • Henry Hill
  • Joseph A. Hill
  • Andrew Jacobs
  • Mary Lillywhite
  • James Masters
  • Mrs. Masters
  • Charles Nantes
  • E. W. Osborne (died on K.I.)
  • George Parsell
  • Mary Parsell
  • John E. Pollard
  • Maria Pollard
  • John Michael Skipper
  • Dr. John Slater (died on K.I.)
  • Benjamin Smith
  • Matthew Smith
  • Mary Smith
  • John Snoswell
  • Mrs. Snoswell
  • Robert Thomas
  • Mrs. Thomas
  • W. Kyffin Thomas
  • Frances Thomas
  • Mary Thomas
  • Helen Thomas
  • Mary Vincent
  • Benjamin Wickham
  • William Williams
  • James Windebank
  • Alfred Young
Tam O'Shanter
74 passengers
Barque Whiteman Freeman 30 November 17 December
Known passengers:
  • Thomas Allen
  • Mrs. Allen
  • William Bailes
  • John Barnard
  • Robert Botting
  • Henry Briggs
  • Walter Bromley
  • Maria Catchlove
  • Jane Catchlove
  • Edward Catchlove, sen.
  • Catchlove, jun.
  • John Clarke
  • Thomas Clarke
  • William Finke
  • Charles Forbes
  • Mrs. Forbes
  • William Fouke
  • George Freeth
  • Henry Gilbert
  • George Guthrie
  • William Hardington
  • Alfred Jaques
  • William Jaques
  • Philip Lee
  • Mrs. Lee
  • Thomas Maslin
  • Thomas Masters
  • Henry Moseley
  • William Moseley
  • William Nation
  • William Phillips
  • Mrs. Phillips
  • Clara Rogers
  • Fanny Rogers
  • Josiah Rogers
  • Mary F. Rogers
  • Robert A. Rogers
  • Mrs. Thomas W. Rogers
  • Robert Ross
  • Robert Seaborne
  • Mrs. Seaborne
  • Thomas William Skuce
  • John Stuckey
  • Mrs. Stuckey
  • Edward Surflen
  • George White
  • John White
  • Alexander Woods
  • Mrs. Woods
Buffalo (1813)
174 passengers
Barque John Hindmarsh 24 December
(Port Lincoln)
28 December
Known passengers:
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