Early Experiences of Colonial Life in South Australia


Early Experiences of Colonial Life in South Australia is a book by John Wrathall Bull originally published as "Early Experiences of Colonial Life by An arrival of 1838" as weekly instalments in The Advertiser, repeated in its associated Chronicle and Weekly Mail.
After the Advertiser issue of 29 September 1877 the articles were only published in the Chronicle, and the last few were a week or two late. All may accessed via Trove, a service of the National Library of Australia.
The book is only part memoir; much of the narrative was contributed by the protagonists, whom Bull knew personally, and much of the content reflects his pragmatic view of history.

The issues

  • Disembarked near present-day Semaphore; a hanging; soirée at Government House; a riot; encounter with "lifers" Foley and Stone, escaped from Sydney.
  • History of Bull's employee Hart; suicide of Hart's successor Moorhead; more on Morgan.
  • Aboriginal relationships; murder of Gilles' shepherd William Duffield.
  • Deaths of Bromley, Beevor; murders by Milemnura/Milmenrura tribe: Barker, Roach and Delve, Maria shipwreck survivors; Gawler's instruction to O'Halloran vindicated.
  • More on Maria investigation.
  • Rev. Longbottom family survive wreck of Fanny in same area, helped by the same tribe; Gill first to enter Murray mouth.
  • Farcical arrest of Black Forest cattle thieves Dick Fenton, John Gofton, Joseph Stagg. Gofton's escape from temporary jail.
  • Wesleyan Methodist ministers Longbottom, Eggleston, Weatherstone and Draper, who took final service at sinking of SS London 11 January 1866, and commemorated by Draper Memorial Church.
  • Stagg found guilty of Gofton murder, insists he is innocent of that crime; John Benedict Lomas mystery: two conflicting stories, one confessing Gofton murder.
  • Pastor Kavel and German settlers in Hahndorf.
  • Port Lincoln: Light's assessment; nasty cannon accident; Hawson exploration fiasco; Aboriginal murders; whalers; Lady Franklin selects spot on Stamford Hill for Flinders memorial.
  • More on Foley, Stone and Stanley. Foley proves to be a consummate bushman.
  • Thoughts on land sale system; his early days in SA; incidents with drays crossing Mount Lofty Ranges.
  • Sturt & McLeay's brush with Aboriginal warriors; attack on Field & Inman.
  • Meets Joseph Storey, petty criminal from Tasmania, who also escapes from temporary jail.
  • Early town fires: Col. Light, Government House, Octagon Cottage, flour mills, bushfire experiences; more on depression after Gawler sacked; Emanuel Solomon and Gilles Arcade; christening of cutter O.G.
  • Capture of Bell Chambers; Carter escapes from new jail, recaptured then escapes again, finally caught by Alford; another escape by Dyer, an American who had hideout near Brownhill Creek.
  • Account of Bonney's cattle drive for Joseph Hawdon: usefulness of Aboriginal tracks; criticism of Mitchell's log; comparison with Eyre's cattle drive.
  • More praise for Governor Gawler; Menge's early prediction of rich copper deposits in the Flinders Ranges.
  • Difficulties Grey faced in running the expanding colony with limited funds. Lawyers and well-heeled capitalists do well.
  • More on O'Halloran & Field expedition to Rufus River to recover sheep if still alive.
  • More on O'Halloran & Field expedition, Aboriginal guides leave party; encounter with survivor of Miller's party ; blames Grey's pacifist policy for spate of attacks on settlers.
  • Ingratitude of Langhorne; buried remains of Martin and three others by banks of the Rufus, site dubbed "Langhorne's Ferry".
  • Party to Rufus River under sub-inspector Bernard Shaw and Matthew Moorhouse, Protector of Aborigines, which title Bull queries, as perhaps Protector of whites, to protect drover Robinson's sheep and cattle. Around 50 killed without a spear being thrown.
  • Summary of conflicts leading to Rufus massacre of 27 August 1841; Eyre stationed at Moorundee, juxtaposed with Archdeacon Hale's mission at Poonindie; faint praise for sub-Protector Mason; favorable mention of Point McLeay mission at Raukkan, South Australia; favors land grant to River Murray tribes; inevitable "blighting effects of civilization" on Aboriginal people; money wasted by George Gipps and Lord Stanley on protectorate system; praise for G. W. Hawkes; Aboriginal shearers.
  • Businesses ruined and confidence lost when legitimate payments repudiated by Grey's government; relates his own difficulties and losses in real estate transactions during this period.
  • Legislative Council created; stumbles upon unsold Section 295, passes to Gilles, becomes SA's first mine, Wheal Gawler follows nearby; Dutton and Bagot find copper at Kapunda; Burra copper mines: "Nobs and Snobs"; praise for Grey.
  • Tolmer, Farrell and other police on trail of Michael Rogers, John Riley, Patrick Lynch, three of what was believed a gang of four armed Tasmanian bushrangers, who had been seen on Kangaroo Island and at Bowden's sheep station on Yorke's Peninsula.
  • Rogers' gang apprehended by Tolmer, Farrell and company; their obdurate defiance.
  • More on the gang following their escape from Tasmania; death of their fourth member; contempt for their previous jailers; reflections on lenient sentences and secular education.
  • Publican Peter Sipp receiver of stolen property; tribute to Inspector Gordon; personal incidents involving Aboriginals.
  • Story of the brig Punch, returning escaped convicts to Hobart: similar to conjectured last days of Lady Denison 's but with a happier ending.
  • ] Inter-faith sharing of resources in first years; Presbyterians Ralph Drummond and Robert Haining; Roman Catholics Bishop Murphy and Father Mahony ; wreck of Mariner with Fr. James Watkins on board, in the same area as Maria, but with no hostile contact.
  • Hostilities in Port Lincoln district: fatal attacks by Battara tribe on 12-y.o. Frank Hawson; John Brown and his hutkeeper; Rolles Biddle, James Fastins, and Mrs Stubbs. Retaliation by Charles Driver S.M., followed by Lieut. Hugonin and troopers; search for culprits by Major O'Halloran; criticism of Missionary Protector Schurman for avoiding contact with Aboriginals for fear of his life.
  • ] Failed search for C. C. Dutton droving party by brothers Charles and James Hawker and three others.
  • List of Aboriginals convicted of murdering whites and executed by hanging; thoughts on future deterioration of country and climate; agricultural use of recycled water; Governor Grey in New Zealand; New Zealand Wars and comparison of Aboriginal Australian and Maori cultures; more thoughts on Grey's term in S.A.; concludes by stating he wrote Experiences to counteract misleading reports.

Editions

  • A paperback facsimile reprint was published by Nabu Press in February 2010
  • A hardcover reprint was made available by Kessinger Publishing in September 2010

Similar publications

James Collins Hawker published:Early Experiences in South Australia, Adelaide: E.S. Wigg and Son.Early Experiences in South Australia, Second Series, Adelaide: E.S. Wigg and Son.
Alexander Tolmer published: