EVENTS AND STATISTICS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN HISTORY 1834-1851 When the River Torrens flooded, North Adelaide was cut off from the rest of the city. When traffic could cross the river, it progressed circuitously through Kermode Street up through Palmer Place to O'Connell Place. Kermode Street was North Adelaide's "high street" until about 1858 when a new section of road was cut from former Poole and John streets, through the Brougham Place reserve into O'Connell Street, which now became the "high street". Until the early 1840s many of Adelaide's buildings and dwellings were made of wood, earth and whatever came to hand. As more skilled emigrants arrived the quality of building structures improved. Much of Adelaide sat on a bed of limestone, just two feet under the topsoil.

• 1834 - South Australian Colonization Act (4 & 5 William IV. Cap 95) assented to - 15 August.
• 1836 - The first migrants to South Australia arrive, landing at Kangaroo Island - 20 July.
• 1836 - Captain John Hindmarsh RN KH, arrival at Holdfast Bay - 28 December.
• 1836 - Population estimate at 31 December - 546 persons. First school in colony opened - on Kangaroo Island.
• 1837 - South Australia's first Governor proclaimed January: Captain John Hindmarsh RN KH. - recalled in June 1838
• 1837 - The first land allotments in Adelaide made following Colonel William Light's survey of Adelaide - March.
• 1837 - Sixteen vessels from England had arrived by May 1837, landing upwards of a thousand immigrants.
              Five vessels from Sydney and Van Dieman's Land brought more, increasing the population to 2,500 in November.
• 1837 - The first newspaper in South Australia printed. Supreme Court of South Australia established.
• 1837 - Hospital opened on North Terrace, Adelaide. Public Expenditure £5,283.
• 1838 - Governor of South Australia proclaimed October 17th: Lt-Colonel John George Gawler KH. Formation of police force.
• 1838   First ballot for country sections of land held - May. Cattle and sheep arrive in the colony,
              overland from New South Wales, brought by Joseph Hawdon, Edward John Eyre and Charles Sturt.
• 1838 - Total livestock approx 480 horses, 2,500 cattle, 28,000 sheep. 86 acres under cultivation including 20 acres for wheat.
• 1838 - Public revenue £1,448, public expenditure £16,580. Agricultural production - area cultivated for wheat - 20 acres.
• 1838 - South Australia's first export - wool. Imports total £158,582 and exports £6,442.
• 1838 - German settlers, led by Pastor Kavel arrive on the Prince George and settle at Klemzig.
• 1838 - Population estimate 31 December - 6,000. Recorded births 83, deaths 67 and marriages 75.
• 1839   January - Fire destroys the houses of Light and Fisher at Thebarton. October 6 - Colonel William Light died at Thebarton
• 1839 - Immigration was 477 persons (recorded). Adelaide rainfall 19.84" (504mm).
• 1839 - Public revenue £19,826, public expenditure £96,186.
• 1839 - The first road in the colony built - Adelaide to Port Adelaide.
• 1839 - Agricultural production - area cultivated for wheat - 120 acres out of a total 443 acres cultivated.
• 1840 - Edward John Eyre commences overland journey to Western Australia.
• 1840 - The Municipality of Adelaide incorporated - the first in Australia, with the first elections being held on October 31.
              The first Mayor was James Hurtle Fisher. (The Council went bankrupt in 1843)
• 1840 - Agricultural production - area cultivated for wheat - 1,059 acres with total area cultivated 2,503 acres.
• 1840 - Shipping (total inwards and outwards) 425 with total tonnage 83,787.
• 1840 - Port Adelaide opened - replacing the old Port of Adelaide "Port Misery".
• 1840 - Population estimate 14,600. Immigration was 2,992 persons (recorded).
• 1840 - Public revenue £30,618, public expenditure £171,430. Adelaide rainfall 24.23" (615mm).
• 1841 - Governor of South Australia proclaimed May 15: Captain George Grey, Esq. - departed November 1845
• 1841 - Population at 01 January - 15,485 ersons. Immigration recorded was 776 persons.
              (The 1841 census is the only one in South Australia for which any detailed records survive.)
• 1841 - The first mine in South Australia, Wheal Gawler at Glen Osmond, commenced - producing silver-lead ore.
              The mineral deposit was discovered by Thomas and Hutchins, two Cornish miners.
• 1841 - 500,000 acres of land surveyed by mid year. Adelaide rainfall 17.96" (456mm) over 93 days.
• 1841 - Public revenue £25,329, public expenditure £89,999. Public expenditure cut, resulting in considerable unemployment.
              Economic depression leads to suspension of Assisted migration.
• 1841 - Road tolls imposed on carriages and stock at Glen Osmond.
• 1841 - Agricultural production - area cultivated for wheat - 4,721 acres, (barley 1,000 acres, oats 1,000 acres).
• 1842 - Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages commenced (July 1st).
• 1842 - Copper discovered at Kapunda by Francis Dutton. Flour mill built at Hindmarsh.
• 1842 - Australia's first exports of mineral ore - from Glen Osmond.
• 1842 - Imports total £109,137, exports £80,858 of which minerals were £127.
• 1842 - Immigration recorded was 1,213 persons and emigration 1,477.
• 1842 - Shipping (total inwards and outwards) 104 with total tonnage 15,533.
• 1844 - The first Colonial Census held 26 February, indicating a population of 17,366, including 96 at Port Lincoln.
              Adelaide's population approx. 10,000.
• 1844 - Immigration 1,114 persons and emigration 436. Shipping 139 (total inwards and outwards). Total tonnage 18,489.
• 1844 - South Australia producing wheat in excess of its own requirements.
• 1845 - Governor of South Australia proclaimed November: Major Lt. Frederick Holt Robe, Esq. - departed August 1848
• 1845 - Copper discovered at Burra. Gold discovered near Montacute.
• 1845 - Assisted migration resumed. Immigration recorded 2,336 persons and emigration 449.
• 1845 - Public revenue £32,433, public expenditure £40,775. Population 31 December - 21,759.
• 1846 - Population at Census, 26 February, was 22,390, including 132 at Port Lincoln and 70 on Kangaroo Island.
              Adelaide's population 13,871 (937 births during year, 360 deaths and 189 marriages).
• 1846 - Immigration recorded was 4,458 persons and emigration 863.
• 1846 - Mining - 6,461 tons of copper ore produced with a value equal to $285,000.
• 1847 - First winery in the Barossa Valley commenced operations. Road tolls at Glen Osmond ceased.
• 1847 - Population estimate 31 December - 31,153. Immigration recorded was 5,645 persons and emigration 885.
• 1848 - Governor of South Australia proclaimed August 2: Sir Henry Fox Young - departed December 1854
• 1848 - Population estimate 31 December - 38,666.Immigration was 7,664 persons and emigration 1,042.
• 1849 - Population estimate 31 December - 52,904. Immigration recorded was 16,166 persons and emigration 2,694.
• 1850 - Population estimate 31 December - 63,700.Immigration recorded was 10,358 persons and emigration 4,221.
• 1850 - The British Parliament passes an Act granting representative government to South Australia.
• 1850 - The postal system included 63 Post Offices and handled 266,588 letters and 393,177 newspapers. Income was £5,413.
• 1850 - Savings bank depositors - total number 672. Total Savings Bank funds £11,772.
• 1850 - 64 Public Schools had a total enrolment of 1,867 scholars.
• 1851 - Central Board of Education established. 115 Public Schools had a total enrolment of 3,031 cholars.

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