Pioneers SA Learning Hub

1836 Settlers lived in tents in the sand hills of Holdfast Bay.

1837 Many settlers moved their tents and belongings to the Parklands of Adelaide

• Two areas were named Buffalo Row and Coromandel Row after the ships on which they sailed to South Australia.
• Emigration Square was established. Canvas tents and simple huts were built.

See the following link for information on Emigration Square:

You will find more information about Emigration Square at the following location: https://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=7503

The location of Emigration Square can be seen on this link: https://www.experienceadelaide.com.au/notable-locations/emigration-square/

John Barton Hack erected two prefabricated cottages. They were made by Henry Manning of London and were known as Manning’s Houses. One such building arrived in the colony in 1840 and became the Quaker meeting. It still exist in North Adelaide.

Town acres became available to buy and then the country areas were opened up.

You will find the original purchasers of the town acre at this site: https://coombe.id.au/1840s_South_Australia/1837_Adelaide_Map_Original_Purchasers.htm

From William Ewen’s letters

William Evans, with his wife Sarah and three children, arrived in South Australia on the ship Prince Regent on the 25th September 1839. He wrote letters to his family and friends in England.

These are extracts from his letters describing his home.

William frequently ignored punctuation so his sentences could be very long. There were often spelling mistakes.

Not dated. Probably c13/10/1839

“Adelaide, South Australia

Dear Mother, Brother, Sister and friends,

It is most certainly A Beutiful Country and the town is far more Built than I expected to find it there are some very nice Houses Built and some many building, in time if it goes as it Does now it will certainly be a A fine town and the the views of the Country is really Beutiful No Gentlemans park can Look so Handsome. Evergreens all the year Round except the Hot months and then they all is scorged up so they say. Vegetarian of all sorts will grow well and uncommon Quick.

House with 3 little Rooms in it 1 pound 4 shillings by week or i ginea per week take it by the quarter. We have 4 Rooms in our House and it costs us 28 shillings per week an very moderate too. they say we Have A Great bargain. but it is Really Laughable to see us sitt at our meals With a packing Case for our tabel. Beer Barrels for our seats Hampers and Boxes. Barrels are empty. Ground for the floor. but our 3 Bedrooms are Boarded floors.

We have our most Beautiful Views of the Hill Country Mount Lofty is in front of our House ad a Range of Beautiful Hills as far as we Can See. People Here take no pains in Building their Houses they use such Long shingling that Rain comes in on you Beutifully as you lay in bed and another time the moon will be shining in upon you they are more Like Huts than Houses but such Houses as they are the on sure to lett as soon as they are put up they cannot put them up fast enough.

Will Ewens

Grenfell St. Tam O Shanter Placed, Adelaide, South Australia”