European settlement of South Australia

The British Colony of South Australia took shape between the formation of the South Australian Land Company in 1831 and the commencement of the Legislative Assembly in 1842. The lands that are now South Australia were recognised by Britain as inhabitable prior to this time, and a series of entrepreneurial propositions and Acts of the British Parliament resulted in the foundation and settlement of lands in South Australia.

The South Australian Land Company (SALC) was formed in 1831 to establish a new colony in the area of South Australia. The SALC sought a Royal Charter for the purchase of land for colonisation, which would raise funding for the transport of immigrants, and for the governance of the new colony to be administered by the SALC. The company anticipated that the centre of government would be on Kangaroo Island or at Port Lincoln on the western side of Spencer Gulf, based on reports from Matthew Flinders. This proposal failed to be approved.

In 1833 the South Australian Association was established and began to lobby the government for the establishment of a colony in South Australia, with Crown appointed governance. This succeeded in the passing on 15 August of the South Australia Act, 1834, which gave provision for the settlement, for the sale of lands, for funding of the venture, in addition to detailing the governance by commissioners.

On 5 May 1835 eleven commissioners were appointed to control sales of land and the administration of revenue. Colonel Robert Torrens was appointed as chairman and Rowland Hill was appointed secretary. On 21 January 1836 Captain John Hindmarsh was appointed the first Governor of South Australia.

Sales of land had proved difficult, and it was left to the South Australian Company (formed on 15 October 1835), to purchase the remaining portion of the thirty five thousand pounds worth of land that was required for settlement to proceed.

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