What is the history of South Australia?

Answer 1

Settlement:

Explorer Matthew Flinders was the first European to investigate the possibilities for settlement on South Australia's coast, doing so in 1802. The South Australian Colonisation Act was passed by the British Parliament in 1834, and the first settlers arrived in 1836.

South Australia is the only state in Australia not to have been founded by convicts. Governor John Hindmarsh arrived in the new colony on the HMS Buffalo, accompanied only by free settlers. South Australia was officially proclaimed on 19 February 1836 in England. The Old Gum Tree at Glenelg North, South Australia, was the location of the reading of the Proclamation by Governor Hindmarsh on 28 December 1836.

South Australia's culture was largely influenced by the German settlers. The first Germans came out with the South Australian Company in 1836 and settled on Kangaroo Island. In November 1838 Pastor Kavel brought a large group of German Lutheran migrants to South Australia, and they initially settled the Barossa Valley, from where they spread out to the Riverina as well. The German-Lutheran influence remains strong in South Australia.

Exploration:

The first explorer to really begin to understand the geography of South Australia was Captain Charles Sturt who traces the course of the Murray River southwards from New South Wales, arriving at Lake Alexandrina, from which he could see the open sea of the southern coast, in February 1830. His discoveries were significant, for they allowed for the development of paddle-steamer transportation of goods and passengers along Australia's inland waterways. The exploration also allowed for the opening up of more fertile pasture and grazing land in southern Australia.

The next major explorer of the area was Edward Eyre, who first explored north of Adelaide, discovering excellent countryside just north of Adelaide and rich, alluvial soil around today's Hutt river. He then intended to cross the continent from south to north, but was forced to revise his plans when his way became blocked by the numerous saltpans of South Australia. this led him to believe (erroneously) that a gigantic inland sea in the shape of a horseshoe prevented access to the north, and his belief discouraged exploration of inland Australia for another fifteen years. However, Eyre became the first explorer to cross overland east to west, leaving from Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula, across the Nullarbor, arriving at Albany, WA, in July 1841.

John Macdouall (also MacDougall) Stuart was another significant explorer of South Australia, who was determined to cross Australia from south to north. Stuart led a total of six expeditions into Australia's interior, with five of them being attempts to be the first to cross the continent from south to north, commencing from Adelaide. He succeeded on his fifth attempt, reaching the northern waters at Chambers Bay in July 1862. (A similar expedition launched from Melbourne around the same time resulted in the deaths of explorers Burke and Wills.) Stuart's successful expedition led to the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line.

The Overland Telegraph Line was a major feat of engineering, which connected Australia to the rest of world via a single wire. A submarine cable already reached from England to Java, and the British-Australian Telegraph Company was prepared to lay a submarine cable from Java to Darwin. It remained only to connect Darwin to the rest of Australia. It was logical for the line to connect first with Adelaide, as Adelaide was the closest point linking to the major centres of Melbourne and Sydney. Thanks to the influence of Charles Todd, superintendent of telegraphs and government astronomer in South Australia, the South Australian government agreed to build a 3200 kilometre overland telegraph line connecting Darwin with Port Augusta. The Line would closely follow the route charted by explorer John McDouall Stuart on his final expedition in 1862.

Begun in 1870, the Overland Telegraph Line was completed in 1872. It was an exceptional feat, carried out in searing heat through the Australian desert, and six men lost their lives during the construction. The northern and southern sections were joined on 22 August 1872, finally bringing Australia into telegraphic communication with the rest of the world.

Government:

Women in South Australia gained the right to vote in 1894, and voted for the first time in the election of 1896. It is generally recognised that this right occurred with the passing of a Bill on 18 December 1894. However, a letter from the Attorney-General advising Governor Kintore that Royal Assent would be required to enact the Bill, is dated 21 December 1894. The Bill was enacted when Queen Victoria gave Royal Assent on 2 February 1895.

South Australia was the first colony in Australia and only the fourth place in the world where women gained the vote. The issue of women voting had been discussed since the 1860s, but gained momentum following the formation of the Women's Suffrage League at Gawler Place in 1888. Between 1885 and 1894, six Bills were introduced into Parliament but not passed. The final, successful Bill was passed in 1894, but initially included a clause preventing women from becoming members of Parliament. Ironically, the clause was removed thanks to the efforts of Ebenezer Ward, an outspoken opponent of women's suffrage. It seems that Ward hoped the inclusion of women in Parliament would be seen as so ridiculous that the whole Bill would be voted out. The change was accepted, however, allowing the women of South Australia to gain complete parliamentary equality with men.

South Australia also used to have control of the Northern Territory. From 1825 to 1863, the Northern Territory was part of New South Wales, and from 1863 to 1911 it was part of South Australia. This resulted from the successful 1862 expedition of John McDouall Stuart to find an overland route through the desert from Adelaide to the north. South Australia is one of Australia's six original Federation states. On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved and the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed. On 1 January 1911, the Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control.