Arrival
Early Life.
in
S.A.
Colonel William Light 1786 - 1839
First Surveyor General of South Australia - Overview
Colonel William Light was born in Malaya in 1786, a son of Captain Francis Light, the Governor of Penang. His mother, Martina Rozells, was believed to be the "Princes of Quedah" of Eastern or Portuguese descent. Early Life At the age of 14 he joined the Royal Navy as a 'volunteer boy' on the Clyde but left her 2 years later as a midshipman and went to France where he and some friends were detained, along with many others, under an edict by Napoleon. However, he managed to escape. His Military Career After the war 1814, he purchased a captaincy in a foot regiment at Brighton, and till 1821 was only part time in the army at stations in Guernsey Scotland and Ireland in between travels to Sicily, Florence and Turin, sketching and painting. Marriages In 1823 he went to Spain again to fight in the revolutionary war, serving in 45 actions before being shot in the thigh at the defence of Corunna. On the 16th October, 1824, Colonel Light married Miss Mary Bennet. She was a daughter of Charles, third Duke of Richmond. The first two years of married life were spent in France, Switzerland, and Italy. They bought the 43 ton yacht Gulnare, and he Mary and friends sailed the Mediterranean visiting Monaco, Genoa, the Adriatic, Greece and Turkey, during which time Light sketched and painted for books he produced. By 1830 they had parted. Light had taken up a position on the paddle steamer Nile, ferrying troops and equipment along the North African coast for the Pasha of Egypt. John Hindmarsh, a senior British Naval Officer, was Captain of the Nile and Light 1st Lieutenant. His Appointment As Surveyor General for South Australia The New Province of South Australia
Lands at Kangaroo Island Surveys Delayed Search For 'Jones' Harbour He then prepared for his exploration of Gulf St. Vincent to look for the harbour discovered by Collet Barker and reported by Captain Jones. (See his Instruction No. 15). For this he hired the services of Cooper, a sealer and his aboriginal wife Sal, long time residents of Kangaroo Island. Barker's Inlet
After further investigations northward along the coast, and finding nothing else to match the description by Jones, he returned south along the coast to discover the Patawalonga inlet on the 1st October. (See Light's Landing on Homepage). Port Noarlunga
The Decision for Holdfast Bay Light's fears of the 15th October now came to fruition. The Africaine with the main body of pioneer settlers arrived at Rapid Bay on the 6th November.
Arrival of The Pioneers at Holdfast Bay 6pm 8th November
Chooses The Harbour on 23rd November, 1836
At the age of six he was sent to friends, the Doughty's in the village of Theberton, Suffolk to be educated. He showed a natural aptitude for languages, sketching and sailing.
In 1808, aged 22, he bought a commission in the 4th Dragoons at Canterbury, and served with high distinction throughout the Peninsular Campaign in Spain and Portugal as an aide-de-camp to The Duke of Wellington. In 1811 he was appointed intelligence officer with the Spanish Cavalry as a Lieutenant.
After selling his commission in 1821 while stationed at Londonerry he married Miss E. Perois.
Early in 1835 Hindmarsh left Egypt for England after hearing that Colonel Napier had turned down the Governorship of The New Colony of South Australia. Napier had actually recommended the Governor's position be offered to Light, but Hindmarsh secured the Governorship for himself and recommended Light as Resident Commissioner and Surveyor General.
Light eventually was appointed only as Surveyor General by a Board of 10 Commissioners, who were responsible for carrying out the novel principles of an experimental democracy based on land sales to aid emigration, (The Wakefield Plan). (See the Commissioners Instructions to Colonel Light on Homepage).
The Rapid, under the command of Light, sailed from England on the 1st May 1836, arriving at Kangaroo Island, the rendezvous point, on the 20th August, a journey of 141 days. Their departure had been delayed by Colonel Light's illness - the onset of tuberculosis. The first South Australia Company ships had already arrived.
The Cygnet, with Deputy Surveyor General Kingston on board with the other half of the survey party, left earlier than the Rapid, but did not arrive until the 11th September. Meanwhile Light had completed his maritime survey of Nepean Bay. He was also hampered in his many tasks by continuous bad weather from August to November.
Due to the lack of water and arable land on Kangaroo Island, Light re-located the advanced party to the mainland at Rapid Valley on September 8th. The stores were offloaded, the camps set up and the vegetable garden commenced.
By the 24th September, Light had spotted the sand hills off the present Pt. Adelaide, but from his observations of the inlet in the gig boat the following day, he dismissed it as being that of Jones's harbour.
Sal Cooper on board the Rapid, directed Light's attention to another river between the Patawalonga and Rapid Bay. This was investigated on the 10th October before the ship returned to Rapid Bay to learn of the arrival of the Cygnet
October 15th
In the forenoon, I was employed in arranging the disposition of tents, &c. and the afternoon writing to the Commissioners, with a mind worn down with anxiety in consequence of such repeated bad weather checking our work, and the dread of having a host of emigrants out before I knew where to land them.
On November 2nd, Light made the momentous decision to split the survey party, sending Kingston in the Rapid to Holdfast Bay and leaving Finniss in charge of the survey of Rapid Valley. He had previously sent Captain Lipson in the Cygnet to Port Lincoln to await the arrival of Governor Hindmarsh.
Mr. Gouger was of course very anxious to know where we should settle--a question I was by no means prepared to answer; and the only thing I could do, was to recommend his proceeding to Holdfast Bay for the present... I could only recommend this place as one from which they were the least likely to re-embark--but stating strongly at the same time, that I could not guarantee permanent settlement there. To make the best of a doubtful case, both Mr. Gouger and Mr. Brown agreed to take their chance;...
Light proceeded with the Africaine to Holdfast Bay to assist with the landing of the pioneers. He was pleased on his arrival there to find that Kingston, Field and Morphett had discovered a fresh water river someway inland (The Torrens - native name 'Yatala').
(November 12th - describing Holdfast Bay)
Looking generally at this place I am quite confident it will be one of the largest settlements, if not the capital of the new colony, the Creek will be its Harbour.
He decided on November 20th to further investigate the inlet found on the 24th September, hoping also that it would be the outlet of the river discovered by Kingston's party. This time the southern reach was found. Field was instructed to lay buoys at the entrance.
The eastern coast of Gulf Saint Vincent is the most eligible, if a harbour could be found--that harbour is now found--more extensive, safe, and beautiful, than we could even have hoped for.
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