Our adventurous ancestors’ emigration leads us to ponder the conditions they endured to start life in the new country, Australia. The colony of South Australia had been proclaimed in 1836. The "Winchester" arrived in South Australia, six months prior to the Dodd family aboard the "Buckinghamshire" in March, 1839 and eight months prior to the Johnston family on the "Fairfield", which arrived in May, 1839. The "Winchester" and "Buckinghamshire" made good time at under 14 weeks, but the little "Fairfield" took additional 10 weeks to cover the distance. A diary by Rachele Deane aboard the "Winchester" gives us an insight into conditions of passage at that time.

Many of our ancestors were able to emigrate as free passengers to South Australia after satisfying selection criteria set by the Colonization Commissioners of South Australia.

Their earliest impressions of South Australia may have been akin to those recorded by Mr H Shearing, who also arrived on the "Buckinghamshire" in 1839.

Reminiscences of A Pioneer

The following sketch of life in South Australia in the pioneering days, written by Mr H Shearing a few weeks before his death, will be read with interest by old colonists. Mr Shearing says:

My parents left England for South Australia in December, 1838, and arrived at Holdfast Bay in March, 1839, in the ship "Buckinghamshire", and were brought ashore in the ship’s large boat, I being at that time 8 years of age. At the time of our arrival there was not a house to be seen from the shore, in fact, I think there were not half a dozen houses to be found throughout the locality. The sandhills along the coast were much higher than they are at the present time, and scrub was growing upon the tops of them, which made them appear very high, the scrub being apparently the home of thousands of crows, which were to be seen in every direction.

The only means of getting away from the beach into the hinterland was by bullock teams, which came down to the shore to take us inland. There was a square of houses, known by the name of "Immigration Square" built just down the hill opposite West Terrace, where the Flagstaff stands above it, at the present time. There were double houses, with two rooms in each, two families occupying the same for a time. They were built with boards that were made and put together in sections ready for erection on arrival at the place appointed. On leaving Holdfast Bay my parents knew not where they were to spend that night, unless at Immigration Square, but to our disappointment on arrival at the square it was already filled. However, we found a place towards what is now known as Thebarton, which had been built by the order of the Commissioner on the north-west corner of the parklands, opposite the Squatters’ Arms (of course, the park lands and the Squatters’ Arms are of later date).

The first home of my parents was built with timber split out of a log 8ft long. These slabs in their rough state, were put into a trench end-wise, and thus formed the walls. It was roofed with narrow palings, split from large trees grown at the back of Mount Lofty, and these having been put on in a green state soon warped in the hot sun, and provided plenty of ventilation. It was not necessary to have a glass window, neither was there any. Our window was made of calico, and which answered for the time being. The floor was composed of mother earth. A fireplace was provided outside for cooking, there being no room inside, the building consisting of only one room, and not very commodious at that. Many a time have I thought what courage my parents must have had to leave England with the slight knowledge of where they were going, with a family of seven, and having at last to live in a house with only one room for one bedstead, the rest having to sleep on the floor.

At this time I am sure that there were not more than six houses in all Thebarton. After some months the immigrants built for themselves. I do not know whether they took their design from the natives’ homes, as there were many very similar to them. Some were built with stakes driven into the ground, and a rail round the stakes, just leaving a doorway. These frame structures were interwoven with reeds and rushes obtained from the banks of the River Torrens. I need not state that the people did not remain in these huts longer than necessary. They sought better homes for themselves in time.

My parents remained about four weeks in their first home, and then removed to Hindmarsh, where my father opened a brick manufactory. He rented a two-roomed house, for which he paid 12/- a week. In a year’s time my father had purchased a piece of land and built a small cottage in Hindmarsh, in which we lived. There also I learnt his business. As a young man, I set out and opened business for myself. The first place I went to was Glenelg, believing that in time it would become a thriving place for building, and I was not mistaken, for I look upon Glenelg as the prettiest town and seaside resort I have seen. Not finding clay suitable for my business at Glenelg I walked to Brighton, and there found what I wanted. I started business in Brighton and from there supplied Glenelg, Brighton and other places inland for some time prior to the Victorian gold diggings. Then all trade in building material came to a standstill. You could ride for a week and not hear the sound of a trowel. After some months the fortunate diggers began to return with their gold. Then they bought up land and commenced to build better homes for themselves and their families. I and some of my relatives had the gold fever and went likewise, and were fairly fortunate in our venture. After being away a few months we returned and had a rest. After which I again visited the Victorian diggings, and had some exciting experiences whilst there. It was a rough life, but we enjoyed it, and the gold led us on.

On returning to South Australia I resumed business at Brighton, continuing a few years, and subsequently opened at Marion until my retirement in 1898.

By 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia had been formed and nine years later, our last ancestor left the soil of Britain for a very different life in outback Queensland.