The New Colony of South Australia

The South Australian Association

In the year 1829 a society, called the National Colonization Society, was formed, for the purpose of explaining to the public the plan of colonization on which the new province of South Australia is to be founded. The members of the Society were few, but they were ardent and assiduous: they encountered contempt, prejudice, and scorn; but they went on regardless of such opposition, and published to the world a statement of their plan...

In 1830 the plan of the South Australian Land Company was laid before the public. ...it contemplated making provision for the governments of the province, and purchasing a large tract of land of the Government at the price of 5s. per acre.

...After some correspondence, in November, 1833, I proposed the formation of the South Australian Association, and was fortunate enough to secure for it the powerful assistance of Mr. Grote, Mr. Clay, Mr. Ward, and those other gentlemen whose names are so familiar to you as forming the committee of that Association, through whose influence the Bill was brought into Parliament, and carried triumphantly, which has become the charter of South Australia.
(Extracts from Robert Gouger's toast September 1835)

The First Bill Introduced Into Parliament

The Draft of a proposed Charter for the South Australian Commission was first presented to the Right Hon. E.G. Stanley, (Secretary of State for the Colonies), by the Provincial Committee of The South Australian Association on the 21st February 1834.

After making certain changes to their initial proposal, which was a republic, a Draft of an Act of Parliament was presented to
Mr. Lefevre as a private communication by Robert Gouger on
the 17th April 1834.

This was No. 11

AN ACT to authorize His Majesty to frame Laws and appoint Officers for South Australia, and to appoint Comissioners for managing the Colonization of the said Province with respect to Waste Lands and Emigration; and for raising Funds for the Purposes of Colonial Government.

This Act also specified the boundaries of the proposed Province, the system of local executive government, the appointment of the Board of Commissioners, the land and emigration scheme to be adopted, and the following unique self-government clause.

And be it further enacted, that as soon as the male adult population of the said province shall amount to...,* and the inhabitants of the said province shall, by means of a Representative Assembly, (to be called by His Majesty, under such regulations and provisions as to His Majesty may seem meet,) express themselves ready to liquidate the then existing debt owing by the said province to the holders of the bonds or securities aforesaid, and to provide for all the future costs, charges, and expenses of governing the said province, then and in that case it shall and may be lawful for His Majesty, by and with the advice of his Privy Council, to frame, constitute, and establish a constitution for the local government of the said province,... ...and the same is hereby declared to be, a fundamental article of the constitution or government of the said province.

(* later changed to 50,000 souls)