Appendix
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"APPENDIX No 4 to the First Annual Report of the Colonization Commissioners of South Australia to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1836 Items 37 - 57".

  1. Regulations for the Selection of Emigrant Labourers.- The Act of Parliament declares that the whole of the funds arising from the sale of land and the rent of pasturage shall form an emigration fund, to be employed in affording a free passage to the colony from Great Britain and Ireland for poor persons, "provided that they shall, as far as possible, be adult persons of two sexes, in equal proportions, and not exceeding the age of thirty years.
  2. With the view to carrying this provision into effect the commissioners offer a free passage to the new colony including provisions and every expense on the voyage, to persons of the following description.
  3. They must be honest, sober, industrious, and of general good character.
  4. They must be able-bodied, of sane mind, and not less than 15 nor more than 30 years of age. Superior artisans, excellent agricultural labourers, or other very desirable emigrants will however occasionally be accepted, though their age may be somewhat more advanced.
  5. Emigrants who are married will be preferred, but the unmarried will not be rejected.
  6. They must be bona fide labourers going out to work for wages in the colony; as, for instance, agriculturists, artisans, domestic servants and sailors or fishermen employed in the fisheries or coastal trade of the colony; and until the number of labourers required shall have been correctly ascertained by experience, it is commended that emigrant labourers should be hired by some capitalist for at least one year from their arrival in the colony, at such wages as they and their employer may agree upon. Assistance in obtaining a hiring will be given at the office to approved emigrants.
  7. The wives of labourers, if of the proper age, will receive a free passage.
  8. Parents going out at their own cost to occupy land or engage in business may obtain a free passage for their children and other dependants, provided that such children or other dependants go out as bone fide labourers, to work for their parents or others, and that they conform in age and every other particular to the rules here laid down.
  9. The occupations of persons receiving a free passage must be of the more common and useful kind. Agricultural labourers of almost every description will be wanted, as well as bakers, basket-makers, braziers and tinmen, smiths, shipwrights, boat-builders, butchers, wheelwrights, sawyers, cabinet-makers, coopers, curriers, farriers, millwrights, harness-makers, boot and shoemakers, tailors, tanners, brickmakers, limeburners, all persons employed in the erection of buildings, sailors.
  10. In the selection of women a preference will be given to those accustomed to farm and dairy work, to sempstresses, strawplaiters and domestic servants.
  11. Persons who are ineligible to be conveyed out by the emigration fund may, unless disqualified on account of character, accompany the free emigrants, on payment of the passage money which for a grown- up person is about 15/-. The charges made by the owners of ships for the passage of children vary, but the following may be taken as an average:

Under two years of age no charge
Two, and under six 5/-
Six years of age 6/-
Seven years of age 7/-
and so on to fifteen, for which the charge is 15/-, the same as for a grown up person.

  1. The commissioners will leave parents to make their own bargains with the owners for carrying out the children, or they will give the children a passage on the following terms:

Under two years of age no charge
Two, and under 15 5 pounds
Those who are 15 may obtain a free passage.

  1. The 5/- must be paid by the parents or the friends, or by the parish; the commissioners cannot in any way become responsible for it.
  2. An applicant for a free passage must fill up the annexed form, and transmit it, properly attested, to the secretary. Should the commissioners accede to the application, due notice will be given of the time and place of embarkation.
  3. Emigrants will, for the most part, embark at the Port of London, but if any considerable number should offer themselves in the neighbourhood of any other port of Great Britain or Ireland, arrangements will, if possible, be made for their embarking at such port.
  4. The expense of reaching the vessel must be borne by the emigrant, but on the appointed day he will be received on board the ship, even though the departure should be delayed, and will be put to no further cost.
  5. On the arrival of the emigrants in the colony they will be received by an officer, who will supply their immediate wants, assist them in reaching the place of their destination, be ready to advise them in case of difficulty, and at all times give them employment, at reduced wages, on the government works, if from any cause they should be unable to gain it elsewhere.
  6. Purchases of land in this country will be allowed the privilege of selecting servants and labourers for a free passage, at the rate of one person for every 16/- expended in the land, provided that the selection is made within a reasonable time, that it is in conformity with the existing regulations for the selection of emigrant labourers, and there is at the time a want of labour in the colony.
  7. After the completion of the sales in this country, the same privilege to be allowed to anyone who should invest money in the hands of the commissioners, to be employed in the purchase of land on his arrival in the colony.
  8. Any emigrant capitalist or any party who may be desirous of fitting out a vessel for the colony from any port of Great Britain or Ireland will be allowed to carry out, at the charge of the commissioners, any approved emigrants who may offer themselves in the neighbourhood of such ports, provided that the arrangements for securing the comforts and safety of the emigrants on their passage are approved of by the commissioners, and that the charge per head does not exceed that for emigrants leaving the port of London. The same allowance to be made for any crew of the vessel who are of the proper description of emigrants, provided that they go out as colonists to engage in the coasting trade or fisheries, and that satisfactory security can be given for their continuing such for at least three years; provided also that their families, if any, shall be resident in the colony.
  9. On the arrival of the emigrant labourers in the colony they will be at perfect liberty to work for anyone willing to employ them, unless hired in this country, and will make their own bargain for wages. This arrangement, while it leaves the emigrant free to act as he may think right, manifestly renders it impossible for the commissioners to give any exact information as to the amount of wages to be obtained; they can merely state that in all new colonies, particularly in the neighbouring settlements of New South Wales and Van Dieman’s Land, wages are much higher than in England’ and that they shall endeavour so to apportion the supply of labour to demand as to conduce in the higher degree to the advantage of both the capitalist and the labourer.

By order of the Board,

6 Adelphi Terrace, 15 Feb. 1836

(signed) Rowland Hill, Secretary

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