History of South Australia - Wikipedia History of South Australia Part of a series on the History of Australia Chronological Prehistory European exploration ( sea ) European exploration ( land ) 1788 -- 1850 1851 -- 1900 1901 -- 1945 1945 -- present Timeline By topic Constitution Diplomacy Economy Federation Immigration Indigenous people Military Monarchy Rail transport By region State / Territory Capital ACT Canberra New South Wales Sydney Northern Territory Darwin Queensland Brisbane South Australia Adelaide Tasmania Hobart Victoria Melbourne Western Australia Perth Australia portal The history of South Australia refers to the history of the Australian State of South Australia and its preceding Indigenous and British colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians have lived in South Australia for tens of thousands of years, while British colonists arrived in the 19th century to establish a free colony, with no convict settlers. European explorers were sent deep into the interior, discovering some pastoral land but mainly large tracts of desert terrain. The colony became a cradle of democratic reform in Australia. The Parliament of South Australia was formed in 1857, when the colony was granted self - government. Women were granted the vote in the 1890s. South Australia became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 following a vote to federate with the other British colonies of Australia. While it has a smaller population than the eastern States, South Australia has often been at the vanguard of political and social change in Australia. Contents 1 Aboriginal settlement 2 European exploration 3 British preparation for establishing a colony 3.1 South Australian Association 3.2 Proclamation of South Australia ( 1836 ) 4 Expansion of the colony 4.1 First agriculture : Sheep, wheat and wine 4.2 Self - governing colony ( 1856 ) 5 Twentieth century 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography Aboriginal settlement Main article : Prehistory of Australia Aboriginal Family Travelling by W.A. Cawthorne. The first people to occupy the area now known as South Australia were Australian Aborigines. Their presence in northern Australia began around 40,000 to 60,000 years ago with the arrival of the first of their ancestors by land - bridge from what is now Indonesia. Their descendants moved south and, though never large in numbers, occupied all areas of Australia, including the future South Australia. Evidence for human activity in South Australia dates back more than 65,000 years ago with ceremonial sites and rock art in the Flinders Ranges and flint mining activity and rock art in the Koonalda Cave on the Nullarbor Plain. In addition wooden spears and tools were made in an area now covered in peat bog in the South East. Kangaroo Island was inhabited long before the island was cut off by rising sea levels. Temporary campsites in the Roxby dunefields have been dated to 19,000 years ago, and Aboriginal people have continuously occupied South Australia deserts since that time. By the time immediately prior to the British settlement of Australia, there were a large number of distinct societies and language groups in what is now South Australia. It is possible to speak of at least two dominant cultures present in South Australia prior to European contact, although there were many distinct societies within each of these cultures. The first was dubbed the `` Lakes Group '' by early anthropologists Elkin and Howitt. The `` Lakes Group '' culture stretches north of the Mount Lofty Ranges, up into the Flinders Ranges to around Lake Eyre, and across the Eyre Peninsula. This cultural grouping spoke at least somewhat mutually intelligible languages, which are known collectively as Thura - Yura languages. They also shared rituals. The second major group was ( and remains ) the `` Western Desert group '', or the Western Desert cultural bloc. This group of cultures encapsulates the land north and west of Lake Eyre, and the land west of the Eyre Peninsula. It extends well beyond South Australia into Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The Western Desert cultures speak largely mutually intelligible languages, so much so that some linguists believe the separate languages should be called dialects of a wider `` Western Desert language ''. These languages are among the healthiest Aboriginal languages in modern Australia, including Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara. Many other cultures existed in South Australia at this time that do not fit neatly into the above groupings, such as the various societies that had been established along the River Murray, as well as the Ngarrindjeri of the Coorong and Lake Alexandrina area, and the various societies that existed to the southeast. European exploration The first recorded European sighting of the South Australian coast was in 1627 when the Dutch ship ' t Gulden Zeepaerdt ( The Golden Seahorse ), skippered by François Thijssen, examined the coastline. Thijssen named his discovery `` Pieter Nuyts Land '', after the highest ranking individual on board. In 1801 - 02 Matthew Flinders led the first circumnavigation of Australia aboard the HMS Investigator, a Royal Navy survey ship. French Captain Nicolas Baudin was also on a survey mission in 1802, independently charting the southern coast of the Australian continent with the French naval ships the Géographe and the Naturaliste. The British and French expeditions sighted each other, and despite France and Britain being at war at the time, they met peacefully at Encounter Bay to the south east of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Baudin referred to the land as `` Terre Napoléon ''. On the same voyage, Baudin named the Fleurieu Peninsula after Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu, a French explorer and statesman. In 1802 Flinders named Mount Lofty but recorded little of the area which is now Adelaide. Both missed the Port Adelaide River inlet, whose position was first accurately located and charted by William Light in 1836. Charles Sturt led an expedition from New South Wales in 1829, which followed first the Murrumbidgee River into a ' broad and noble river ', which he named the Murray River. His party then followed this river to its junction with the Darling River and continued down river on to Lake Alexandrina, where the Murray meets the sea in South Australia. Suffering greatly, the party had to then row back upstream hundreds of kilometres for the return journey. British preparation for establishing a colony Main articles : European settlement of South Australia and History of Adelaide 1835 advertisement A group in Britain led by Edward Gibbon Wakefield were looking to start a colony based on free settlement rather than convict labour. Wakefield suggested that instead of granting free land to settlers as had happened in other colonies, the land should be sold. The money from land purchases would be used solely to transport labourers to the colony free of charge, who were responsible and skilled workers rather than paupers and convicts. Land prices needed to be high enough so that workers who saved to buy land of their own remained in the workforce long enough to avoid a labour shortage. In 1830 Charles Sturt explored the Murray River and was impressed with what he briefly saw while passing through Lake Alexandrina, later writing : Hurried... as my view of it was, my eye never fell on a country of more promising aspect, or of more favourable position, than that which occupies the space between the lake and the ranges of St. Vincent 's Gulf, and, continuing northerly from Mount Barker, stretches away, without any visible boundary. -- Charles Sturt, Expeditions into Southern Australia Captain Collet Barker, sent by New South Wales Governor Ralph Darling, conducted a more thorough survey of the area in 1831, as recommended by Sturt. After swimming the mouth of the Murray River, Barker was killed by natives who may have had contact with sealers and escaped convicts in the region. Despite this, his more detailed survey led Sturt to conclude in his 1833 report :... it would appear that a spot has, at length, been found upon the south coast of New Holland, to which the colonist might venture with every prospect of success, and in whose valleys the exile might hope to build for himself and for his family a peaceful and prosperous home. All who have ever landed upon the eastern shore of St. Vincent 's Gulf, agree as to the richness of its soil, and the abundance of its pasture. -- Charles Sturt, Expeditions into Southern Australia South Australian Association In 1834 the South Australian Association, with the aid of such figures as George Grote, William Molesworth and the Duke of Wellington persuaded British Parliament to pass the South Australia Act, 1834. The Act stated that 802,511 square kilometres would be allotted to the colony and to be convict - free. The plan for the colony to be the ideal embodiment of the best qualities of British society, that is, no religious discrimination or unemployment. The province and its capital were named prior to settlement. The Act further specified that it was to be self - sufficient ; £ 20,000 surety had to be created and £ 35,000 worth of land had to be sold in the new colony before any settlement was permitted. These conditions were fulfilled by the close of 1835. While New South Wales, Tasmania and ( although not initially ) Western Australia were established as convict settlements, the founders of South Australia had a vision for a colony with political and religious freedoms, together with opportunities for wealth through business and pastoral investments. The South Australia Act ( 1834 ) reflected these desires and included a promise of representative government when the population reached 50,000 people. South Australia thus became the only colony authorised by an Act of Parliament, and which was intended to be developed at no cost to the British government. Transportation of convicts was forbidden, and ' poor Emigrants ', assisted by an Emigration Fund, were required to bring their families with them. Significantly, the 1836 Letters Patent enabling the South Australia Act included a guarantee of the rights of ' any Aboriginal Natives ' and their descendants to lands they ' now actually occupied or enjoyed '. The western and eastern boundaries of the colony were set at 132 ° and 141 ° East of Greenwich, and to the north at the Tropic of Capricorn, ( 23 ° 26 ′ South ). The western and eastern boundary points were chosen as they marked the extent of coastline first surveyed by Matthew Flinders in 1802 ( Nicolas Baudin 's priority being ignored ). In 1836, the John Pirie and the Duke of York of the South Australia Land Company set sail for South Australia to establish the first settlement on Kangaroo Island. Proclamation of South Australia ( 1836 ) Province of South Australia British Crown Colony ← 1836 -- 1901 → → Flag ( from 1876 ) Government Self - governing colony Monarch 1834 - 1837 William IV first 1837 - 1901 Victoria last Governor 1836 - 1838 John Hindmarsh first 1899 - 1901 Hallam Tennyson last History Independence from the Colony of New South Wales 1836 Federation of Australia 1901 The Proclamation of South Australia 1836, Charles Hill. Colonel William Light. Royal Navy Rear - Admiral John Hindmarsh was selected to be South Australia 's first governor. The first settlers and officials set sail in early 1836. A total of nine ships consisting of 636 people set sail from London for South Australia. The ships in the fleet included the Cygnet ( carrying Colonel William Light 's surveyors ), Africaine, Tam O'Shanter, Rapid, and HMS Buffalo ( carrying Hindmarsh ). After an eight - month voyage around the world, most of the ships took supplies and settlers to Kangaroo Island. They landed at Kingscote to await official decisions on the location and administration of the new colony. Surveyor Colonel William Light was given two months to locate the most advantageous location for the main colony. He was required to find a site with a harbour, arable land, fresh water, ready internal and external communications, building materials and drainage. Light rejected potential locations for the new main settlement, including Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln and Encounter Bay. Light decided that the Adelaide plains were the best location for settlement. Most of the settlers were moved from Kangaroo Island to Holdfast Bay with Governor Hindmarsh arriving on 28 December 1836 to proclaim the province of South Australia. The Port River was sighted and deemed to be a suitable harbour, but there was no fresh water available nearby. The River Torrens was discovered to the south and Light and his team set about determining the city 's precise location and layout. The survey was completed on 11 March 1837. Light 's poorly paid and ill - equipped surveying team were expected to begin another massive task of surveying at least 405 km2 of rural land. Light, despite slowly succumbing to tuberculosis, managed to survey 605.7 km2 by June 1838. Most other colonies had been founded by Governors with near total authority. In South Australia power was initially divided between the Governor and the Resident Commissioner so that government could not interfere with the business affairs or freedom of religion of the settlers. Relation between Hindmarsh and the Resident Commissioner quickly broke down. Expansion of the colony Until 1851, the Governor ruled with the assistance of an appointed Executive Council of paid officials. Land development and settlement was the basis of the Wakefield vision. Land law and regulations governing it were fundamental to the foundation of the Province and allowed for land to be bought at a uniform price per acre ( regardless of quality ), with auctions for land desired by more than one buyer, and leases made available on unused land. Proceeds from land were to fund the Emigration Fund to assist poor settlers to come as tradesmen and labourers. Agitation for representative government quickly emerged. Most other colonies had been founded by Governors with near total authority, but in South Australia, power was initially divided between the Governor and the Resident Commissioner, so that government could not interfere with the business affairs or freedom of religion of the settlers. From 1843 to 1851, the colony was governed by a legislative council of seven appointed members. By 1851 the colony was experimenting with a partially elected council, with 16 of 24 members of the South Australian Legislative Council being elected that year and the remainder appointed. First agriculture : sheep, wheat and wine The first sheep and other livestock in South Australia were brought in from Tasmania. Sheep were overlanded from New South Wales from 1838, with the wool industry forming the basis of South Australia 's economy for the first few years. Vast tracts of land were leased by `` Squatters '' until required for agriculture. Once the land was surveyed it was put up for sale and the Squatters had to buy their runs or move on. Most bought their land when it came up for sale, disadvantaging farmers who had a hard time finding good and unoccupied land. Farms took longer to establish than sheep runs and were expensive to set up. Despite this by 1860 wheat farms ranged from Encounter Bay in the south to Clare in the north. The punitive expedition to the Coorong after 25 survivors of the shipwreck Maria were massacred by Aborigines in 1840. In 1840, the brigantine Maria was shipwrecked near Cape Jaffa after leaving Port Adelaide for Hobart. All 25 people aboard were massacred by Aborigines along the Coorong. The wine growing regions of McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley were established in the 1840s. Port Pirie was founded in 1845. Copper was discovered near Kapunda in 1842. In 1845 even larger deposits of copper were discovered at Burra which brought wealth to the Adelaide shopkeepers who invested in the mine. John Ridley invented a reaping machine in 1843 which changed farming methods throughout South Australia and the nation at large. By 1843, 93 km2 of land was growing wheat ( compared to 0.08 km2 in 1838 ). Toward the end of the century South Australia would become known as the `` granary of Australia ''. Gold discoveries in Victoria in 1851 brought a severe labour shortage in Adelaide which was created by the exodus of workers leaving to seek their fortunes on the goldfields. However, this also created high demand for South Australian wheat. The situation improved when prospectors returned with their gold finds. During the 1850s over 5,400 hard working Germans settled in South Australia. Many started off the wine industry in the Barossa Valley and they opened the first Lutheran church in Hahndorf. South Australians were keen to establish trade links with Victoria and New South Wales, but overland transport was too slow. A £ 4,000 prize was offered in 1850 by the South Australian government for the first two people to navigate the River Murray in an iron steamboat as far as its junction with the Darling River. In 1853 William Randell of Mannum and Francis Cadell of Adelaide, unintentionally making the attempt at the same time, raced each other to Swan Hill with Cadell coming in first. Saint Mary Mackillop ( 1842 - 1909 ) co-founded an order of nuns in rural South Australia in 1866 and became the first Australian saint of the Catholic Church in 2010. South Australian suffragette Catherine Helen Spence ( 1825 - 1910 ). In 1895 women in South Australia were among the first in the world to attain the vote and were the first to be able to stand for parliament. By the mid 19th century, there was a strong desire for representative and responsible government in the colonies of Australia. In 1840, the Adelaide City Council was established as the first city council in the Australian colonies. The Australian Colonies Government Act ( 1850 ) was a landmark development which granted representative constitutions to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania and the colonies enthusiastically set about writing constitutions which produced democratically progressive parliaments with the British monarch as the symbolic head of state. In 1850 and elections for legislative councils were held in the colonies of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. In 1855, limited self - government was granted by London to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. An innovative secret ballot was introduced in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia in 1856, in which the government supplied voting paper containing the names of candidates and voters could select in private. This system was adopted around the world, becoming known as the `` Australian Ballot ''. 1855 also saw the granting of the right to vote to all male British subjects 21 years or over in South Australia. In 1877, it became the first part of the British Empire to legalise Trade Unions and in 1891, four United Labor Party candidates were elected to Parliament, becoming the first endorsed Labor members in Australia. Further copper discoveries were made in 1859 at Wallaroo and in 1861 at Moonta. South Australia was a haven for religious refugees leaving Europe over this period. German Lutherans established the influential Hermmannsberg Mission in Central Australia in 1870. David Unaipon who was to become a preacher and Australia 's first Aboriginal author was born at Point McLeay Mission in South Australia in 1872. The son of Australia 's first Aboriginal pastor, he is today honoured on the Australian $50 note. Saint Mary Mackillop co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in rural South Australia in 1866. Dedicated to the education of the children of the poor, it was the first religious order to be founded by an Australian. Mackillop established schools, orphanages and welfare institutions throughout the colonies. She became the first Australian to be honoured by canonisation as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in 2010. During John McDouall Stuart 's 1862 expedition to the north coast of Australia he discovered 200,000 km2 of grazing territory to the west of Lake Torrens and Lake Eyre. Stuart succeeded in traversing Central Australia from south to north. His expedition mapped out the route which was later followed by the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. South Australia was made responsible for the administration of the Northern Territory, which was previously part of New South Wales. In the 1890s Australia was affected by a severe economic depression. Financial institutions in Melbourne and banks in Sydney closed. The national fertility rate fell and immigration was reduced to a trickle. The value of South Australia 's exports nearly halved. Drought and poor harvests from 1884 compounded the problems with some families leaving for Western Australia. Adelaide was not as badly hit as the larger gold - rush cities of Sydney and Melbourne, and silver and lead discoveries at Broken Hill provided some relief. Self - governing colony ( 1856 ) South Australia became a self - governing colony in 1856 with the ratification of a new constitution by the British parliament. A bicameral parliament was elected on 9 March 1857, by which time 109,917 people lived in the province. South Australia 's 1856 constitution was among the most democratic in the world -- more so than the other Australian colonies, the United Kingdom and most European countries at that time. It provided for : Adult male suffrage ( including indigenous men ) ; Secret ballot voting ; one man, one vote ; no property qualifications for Members of its House of Assembly and a relatively low property qualification for Members of its Legislative Council. Propertied women in the colony of South Australia were granted the vote in 1861. In the Constitutional Amendment Act 1894, all women became eligible to vote for the Parliament of South Australia when they won the same voting rights as men, and they did so in South Australia 's 1895 elections. The Constitutional Amendment Act 1894 was also the first legislation in the world permitting women also to stand for election to political office and, in 1897, Catherine Helen Spence became the first female political candidate for political office, unsuccessfully standing for election as a delegate to the Federal Convention on Australian Federation. By the 1890s, several new factors were drawing the Australian colonies towards political union and South Australians voted by referendum to join the Commonwealth of Australia. Twentieth century On 1 January 1901, following a proclamation by Queen Victoria, South Australia ceased to be a self - governing colony and became a state of the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1906, South Australia 's first uranium mine was opened at Radium Hill. In 1910, the government of John Verran served as the first complete Labor party government in the world. 28,000 South Australians volunteered to fight during Australia 's involvement in the First World War. Adelaide enjoyed a post-war boom but with the return of droughts, entered the depression of the 1930s, later returning to prosperity with strong government leadership. Secondary industries helped reduce the state 's dependence on primary industries. The 1933 census recorded the state population at 580,949, which was less of an increase than other states due to the state 's economic limitations. After the second world war, the Woomera rocket range was established in 1947 as part of the Anglo - Australian Joint Project -- at that time one of only four rocket ranges in the world. Busy through the 1950s, Woomera played an important role in the development of space technologies. With US assistance, Wresat 1, the first Australian satellite, was launched from Woomera, in November 1967 -- a joint project of the Weapons Research Establishment and the University of Adelaide. The project made Australia only the 4th country to launch its own satellite from its own territory -- and a landmark in Australian science. The 1925 Murray Bridge rail bridge over the Murray River, linking Adelaide to Melbourne. Rocket launches largely ceased from the early 1970s, though some space related activity has continued into the 21st century and the base is now controlled by the Royal Australian Airforce. The University of Adelaide has a long history of scientific research and scholarship of international significance, and five Nobel Laureates have been associated with the University : Sir William Henry Bragg ( Physics 1915 ) ; Sir William Lawrence Bragg ( Physics 1915 ) ; Sir Howard Walter Florey ( Physiology or Medicine 1945 ) ; J.M. Coetzee ( Literature 2003 ) ; Robin Warren ( Physiology or Medicine 2005 ). After World War II, an assisted migration scheme brought 215,000 emigrants of all nationalities to South Australia between 1947 and 1973. Murray Bridge, earlier known as Mobilong and then Edward 's Crossing, was given its current name in the 1920s. It is now the fourth most populous region in South Australia, preceded by Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Whyalla. The 1960s and 1970s saw the introduction of a series of landmark Australian legislative `` firsts '' in South Australia, including : the 1966 Prohibition of Discrimination Act, which prohibited discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, or country of origin ; and 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act, which made discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status, or sexuality unlawful. In 1975 Parliament `` decriminalised '' homosexual acts ; and in 1976 rape in marriage was made a criminal offence. Construction of the Adelaide Festival Centre began in 1970 and South Australia 's Sir Robert Helpmann became director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts. The South Australian Film Corporation ( SAFC ) was established by the Don Dunstan government in 1972 and played a significant role in the revival of Australian cinema, with such critically acclaimed works as Picnic at Hanging Rock and Breaker Morant. In 1976, the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act gave the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal peoples inalienable freehold title over 100,000 km of their land. That same year, South Australia appointed the first Aboriginal governor of an Australian state when Sir Douglas Nicholls was made Governor of South Australia. In 1987, copper, gold, and silver production began at the Olympic Dam mine. Olympic Dam also possesses the world 's largest known deposit of uranium. During the commercial property boom of the 1980s the State Bank of South Australia was the fastest growing bank in Australia -- but in 1991, the bank collapsed and Labor Premier John Bannon announced that, due to bad debts, the bank would have to be rescued by the taxpayers -- subsequently, the bank 's book debt rose to $3 billion. A Royal Commission was called and Premier Bannon resigned after appearing before it. See also South Australia portal History portal Australian Overland Telegraph Line British nuclear tests at Maralinga Goyder 's Line List of cities and towns in South Australia Proclamation Day South Australia - Victoria border dispute Stobie pole Timeline of South Australian history References Jump up ^ Geoffrey Blainey ; A Very Short History of the World ; Penguin Books ; 2004 ; ISBN 978 - 0 - 14 - 300559 - 9 Jump up ^ Marwick, Ben ; Hiscock, Peter ; Sullivan, Marjorie ; Hughes, Philip ( July 2017 ). `` Landform boundary effects on Holocene forager landscape use in arid South Australia ''. Journal of Archaeological Science : Reports. doi : 10.1016 / j. jasrep. 2017.07. 004. Jump up ^ Gibbney, H.J. Sturt, Charles ( 1795 -- 1869 ). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Sturt, Charles ( 1834 ). Two expeditions into the interior of southern Australia : during the years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1831 : with observations on the soil, climate, and general resources of the colony of New South Wales ( 2nd ed. ). London : Smith, Elder. p. 230. Jump up ^ Sturt, Charles ( 1834 ). Two expeditions into the interior of southern Australia : during the years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1831 : with observations on the soil, climate, and general resources of the colony of New South Wales ( 2nd ed. ). London : Smith, Elder. p. 246. Jump up ^ South Australia Act, or Foundation Act, of 1834 ( UK ). Documenting a Democracy. Retrieved on 11 May 2016. Jump up ^ Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia 19 February 1836 ( UK ). Documenting a Democracy. Retrieved on 11 May 2016. Jump up ^ South Australian Association, South Australia : Outline of the Plan of a Proposed Colony to be Founded on the South Coast of Australia, London, Ridgway, 1834, p. 6 Jump up ^ Henry Capper and William Light, South Australia : Extracts from the Official Dispatches of Colonel Light,... letters of settlers... ( and ) the proceedings of the South Australian Company, London, H. Capper, 1837, p. 21. Jump up ^ Africaine, boundforsouthaustralia.com.au Africaine ( Barque ) - Colonists to South Australia in 1836, www.geni.com Jump up ^ Tam O'Shanter, boundforsouthaustralia.com.au ^ Jump up to : Kerr, Margaret Goyder Colonial Dynasty Rigby Limited, Adelaide 1980 ISBN 0 7270 1097 2 Jump up ^ South Australian Commission Land Sale Regulations 1835 ( issued by the Commissioners in the UK ) Archived 2 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine... Documenting a Democracy. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ 1834 - 1851 - Colonial Government. Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Legislative Council 1843 - 1856. Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` A Famous Wreck ''. The Evening News. Sydney : National Library of Australia. 5 October 1895. p. 1 Supplement : Evening News Supplement. Retrieved 29 May 2013. This reference quite credibly states the bodies were stuffed down wombat holes, where others coyly refer to `` shallow graves ''. It is also one of the few to touch on the contentious possibility of cannibalism. Jump up ^ The Right to Vote in Australia. Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ ( 28 January 2011 ). Australia 's major electoral developments Timeline : 1788 - 1899. Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. ^ Jump up to : Democracy and human rights in the 19th century. Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Nic Klaassen. `` Hermannsburg Aboriginal mission on the Finke River Northern Territory ''. Retrieved 2011 - 04 - 21. Jump up ^ ( 20 December 2009 ). MacKillop to become Australia 's first saint. ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Tim Flannery ; The Explorers ; Text Publishing 1998 Jump up ^ Women 's Suffrage Petition 1894 : parliament.sa.gov.au Jump up ^ `` AEC.gov.au ''. AEC.gov.au. 25 Oct 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2010. Jump up ^ Constitution ( Female Suffrage ) Act 1895 ( SA ) Archived 3 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine... Documenting a Democracy. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ `` Welcome ''. Radium Hill Historical Association. Archived from the original on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009. ^ Jump up to : Democracy and human rights in the 20th century. Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ ( 18 July 2007 ). Woomera recognised for historic value. ABC Science. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ ( 29 November 2007 ). 40th anniversary of Australia 's first satellite. University of Adelaide. Media Release. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Denise Chow ( 26 March 2010 ). New Hypersonic Rocket Test Launched in Australia. space.com. TechMediaNetwork.com. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ ( 25 October 2011 ). Nobel Laureates. The University of Adelaide. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ History Archived 29 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine... Adelaide Festival Centre. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Sir Robert Helpmann -- a Knight to Remember Archived 17 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine... Helpmann Awards. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Sir Douglas Nicholls Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine... Civics and Citizenship Education. Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Jump up ^ Jonathan Wright ( 29 May 2008 ). Top 10 Financial Moments That Shaped SA Archived 10 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine... Retrieved on 21 March 2012. Bibliography Susan Marsden ' South Australia ' in G Davison, J Hirst, S MacIntyre, eds, The Oxford Companion to Australian History, Oxford University Press, Melbourne ( 1998 ) ISBN 0 - 19 - 553597 - 9 Elizabeth Kwan Living in South Australia : A Social History Volume 1 : From Before 1836 to 1914 ( 1987 ) Derek Whitelock Adelaide : From Colony to Jubilee ( 1985 ) Dorothy Jauncey, Bardi Grubs and Frog Cakes -- South Australian Words, Oxford University Press ( 2004 ) ISBN 0 - 19 - 551770 - 9 South Australia Topics History Government Flag Culture Transport Rail transport Education Geography Geology South Australian English Sport Country Fire Service Regions Adelaide Hills Barossa Valley Clare Valley Eyre Peninsula Far North Fleurieu Peninsula Flinders Ranges Limestone Coast Mid North Murraylands Nullarbor Plain Riverland Yorke Peninsula Cities and towns Adelaide Mount Gambier Murray Bridge Port Augusta Port Lincoln Port Pirie Victor Harbor Whyalla South Australia portal History of Australia States New South Wales Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia Territories Australian Capital Territory Jervis Bay Territory Northern Territory External territories Ashmore and Cartier Islands Australian Antarctic Territory Christmas Island Cocos ( Keeling ) Islands Coral Sea Islands Heard Island and McDonald Islands Norfolk Island British Empire Legend Current territory Former territory * Now a Commonwealth realm Now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Historical flags of the British Empire Europe 1542 -- 1800 Ireland ( integrated into UK ) 1708 -- 1757, 1763 -- 1782 and 1798 -- 1802 Minorca Since 1713 Gibraltar 1800 -- 1813 Malta ( Protectorate ) 1813 -- 1964 Malta ( Colony ) 1807 -- 1890 Heligoland 1809 -- 1864 Ionian Islands 1878 -- 1960 Cyprus 1921 -- 1937 Irish Free State North America 17th century and before 18th century 19th and 20th century 1579 New Albion 1583 -- 1907 Newfoundland 1605 -- 1979 * Saint Lucia 1607 -- 1776 Virginia Since 1619 Bermuda 1620 -- 1691 Plymouth 1623 -- 1883 Saint Kitts 1624 -- 1966 * Barbados 1625 -- 1650 Saint Croix 1627 -- 1979 * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1628 -- 1883 Nevis 1629 -- 1691 Massachusetts Bay 1632 -- 1776 Maryland since 1632 Montserrat 1632 -- 1860 Antigua 1635 -- 1644 Saybrook 1636 -- 1776 Connecticut 1636 -- 1776 Rhode Island 1637 -- 1662 New Haven 1643 -- 1860 Bay Islands Since 1650 Anguilla 1655 -- 1850 Mosquito Coast 1655 -- 1962 * Jamaica 1663 -- 1712 Carolina 1664 -- 1776 New York 1665 -- 1674 and 1702 -- 1776 New Jersey Since 1666 Virgin Islands Since 1670 Cayman Islands 1670 -- 1973 * Bahamas 1670 -- 1870 Rupert 's Land 1671 -- 1816 Leeward Islands 1674 -- 1702 East Jersey 1674 -- 1702 West Jersey 1680 -- 1776 New Hampshire 1681 -- 1776 Pennsylvania 1686 -- 1689 New England 1691 -- 1776 Massachusetts Bay 1701 -- 1776 Delaware 1712 -- 1776 North Carolina 1712 -- 1776 South Carolina 1713 -- 1867 Nova Scotia 1733 -- 1776 Georgia 1754 -- 1820 Cape Breton Island 1762 -- 1974 * Grenada 1763 -- 1978 Dominica 1763 -- 1873 Prince Edward Island 1763 -- 1791 Quebec 1763 -- 1783 East Florida 1763 -- 1783 West Florida 1784 -- 1867 New Brunswick 1791 -- 1841 Lower Canada 1791 -- 1841 Upper Canada Since 1799 Turks and Caicos Islands 1818 -- 1846 Columbia District / Oregon Country 1833 -- 1960 Windward Islands 1833 -- 1960 Leeward Islands 1841 -- 1867 Canada 1849 -- 1866 Vancouver Island 1853 -- 1863 Queen Charlotte Islands 1858 -- 1866 British Columbia 1859 -- 1870 North - Western Territory 1860 -- 1981 * British Antigua and Barbuda 1862 -- 1863 Stickeen 1866 -- 1871 British Columbia 1867 -- 1931 * Dominion of Canada 1871 -- 1964 Honduras 1882 -- 1983 * Saint Kitts and Nevis 1889 -- 1962 Trinidad and Tobago 1907 -- 1949 Newfoundland 1958 -- 1962 West Indies Federation 1. Occupied jointly with the United States. 2. In 1931, Canada and other British dominions obtained self - government through the Statute of Westminster. See Name of Canada. 3. Gave up self - rule in 1934, but remained a de jure Dominion until it joined Canada in 1949. South America 1631 -- 1641 Providence Island 1651 -- 1667 Willoughbyland 1670 -- 1688 Saint Andrew and Providence Islands 1831 -- 1966 Guiana Since 1833 Falkland Islands Since 1908 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 4. Now a department of Colombia. 5. Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April -- June 1982. Africa 17th and 18th centuries 19th century 20th century Since 1658 Saint Helena 1792 -- 1961 Sierra Leone 1795 -- 1803 Cape Colony Since 1815 Ascension Island Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha 1806 -- 1910 Cape of Good Hope 1807 -- 1808 Madeira 1810 -- 1968 Mauritius 1816 -- 1965 The Gambia 1856 -- 1910 Natal 1862 -- 1906 Lagos 1868 -- 1966 Basutoland 1874 -- 1957 Gold Coast 1882 -- 1922 Egypt 1884 -- 1900 Niger Coast 1884 -- 1966 Bechuanaland 1884 -- 1960 Somaliland 1887 -- 1897 Zululand 1890 -- 1962 Uganda 1890 -- 1963 Zanzibar 1891 -- 1964 Nyasaland 1891 -- 1907 Central Africa 1893 -- 1968 Swaziland 1895 -- 1920 East Africa 1899 -- 1956 Sudan 1900 -- 1914 Northern Nigeria 1900 -- 1914 Southern Nigeria 1900 -- 1910 Orange River 1900 -- 1910 Transvaal 1903 -- 1976 Seychelles 1910 -- 1931 South Africa 1914 -- 1960 Nigeria 1915 -- 1931 South - West Africa 1919 -- 1961 Cameroons 1920 -- 1963 Kenya 1922 -- 1961 Tanganyika 1923 -- 1965 and 1979 -- 1980 Southern Rhodesia 1924 -- 1964 Northern Rhodesia 6. League of Nations mandate. 7. Self - governing Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965 ( as Rhodesia ) and continued as an unrecognised state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until it withdrew in 2003. Asia 17th and 18th century 19th century 20th century 1685 -- 1824 Bencoolen 1702 -- 1705 Pulo Condore 1757 -- 1947 Bengal 1762 -- 1764 Manila and Cavite 1781 -- 1784 and 1795 -- 1819 Padang 1786 -- 1946 Penang 1795 -- 1948 Ceylon 1796 -- 1965 Maldives 1811 -- 1816 Java 1812 -- 1824 Banka and Billiton 1819 -- 1826 Malaya 1824 -- 1948 Burma 1826 -- 1946 Straits Settlements 1839 -- 1967 Aden 1839 -- 1842 Afghanistan 1841 -- 1997 Hong Kong 1841 -- 1946 Sarawak 1848 -- 1946 Labuan 1858 -- 1947 India 1874 -- 1963 Borneo 1879 -- 1919 Afghanistan ( protectorate ) 1882 -- 1963 North Borneo 1885 -- 1946 Unfederated Malay States 1888 -- 1984 Brunei 1891 -- 1971 Muscat and Oman 1892 -- 1971 Trucial States 1895 -- 1946 Federated Malay States 1898 -- 1930 Weihai 1878 -- 1960 Cyprus 1907 -- 1949 Bhutan ( protectorate ) 1918 -- 1961 Kuwait 1920 -- 1932 Mesopotamia 1921 -- 1946 Transjordan 1923 -- 1948 Palestine 1945 -- 1946 South Vietnam 1946 -- 1963 North Borneo 1946 -- 1963 Sarawak 1946 -- 1963 Singapore 1946 -- 1948 Malayan Union 1948 -- 1957 Federation of Malaya Since 1960 Akrotiri and Dhekelia ( before as part of Cyprus ) Since 1965 British Indian Ocean Territory ( before as part of Mauritius and the Seychelles ) League of Nations mandate. Iraq 's mandate was not enacted and replaced by the Anglo - Iraqi Treaty Oceania 18th and 19th centuries 20th century 1788 -- 1901 New South Wales 1803 -- 1901 Van Diemen 's Land / Tasmania 1807 -- 1863 Auckland Islands 1824 -- 1980 New Hebrides 1824 -- 1901 Queensland 1829 -- 1901 Swan River / Western Australia 1836 -- 1901 South Australia since 1838 Pitcairn Islands 1841 -- 1907 New Zealand 1851 -- 1901 Victoria 1874 -- 1970 Fiji 1877 -- 1976 Western Pacific Territories 1884 -- 1949 Papua 1888 -- 1901 Rarotonga / Cook Islands 1889 -- 1948 Union Islands 1892 -- 1979 Gilbert and Ellice Islands 1893 -- 1978 Solomon Islands 1900 -- 1970 Tonga 1900 -- 1974 Niue 1901 -- 1942 * Australia 1907 -- 1947 * New Zealand 1919 -- 1942 and 1945 -- 1968 Nauru 1919 -- 1949 New Guinea 1949 -- 1975 Papua and New Guinea 9. Now part of the * Realm of New Zealand. 10. Suspended member. 11. Now Kiribati and * Tuvalu. 12. Now the * Solomon Islands. 13. Now * Papua New Guinea. Antarctica and South Atlantic Since 1658 Saint Helena Since 1815 Ascension Island Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha Since 1908 British Antarctic Territory 1841 -- 1933 Australian Antarctic Territory ( transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia ) 1841 -- 1947 Ross Dependency ( transferred to the Realm of New Zealand ) 14. Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ; Ascension Island ( 1922 -- ) and Tristan da Cunha ( 1938 -- ) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena. 15. Both claimed in 1908 ; territories formed in 1962 ( British Antarctic Territory ) and 1985 ( South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ). Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_South_Australia&oldid=841118837 '' Categories : States and territories established in 1836 States and territories disestablished in 1901 History of South Australia Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 : Julian -- Gregorian uncertainty Use dmy dates from July 2015 Use Australian English from July 2015 All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Bahasa Melayu Edit links This page was last edited on 14 May 2018, at 04 : 44. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who migrated to south australia in the colonial era
Answer: British colonists