Here are some facts for this day. You are welcome to log your interesting, quirky or fun fact/s with your log.
On This Day - January 16th
Australian History
1837 - The "Proclamation Establishment of Government in SA" is printed on South Australia's first printing press.
Holdfast Bay in South Australia was the site of the earliest landings of pioneers to South Australia's mainland. It was into this port that South Australia's first printing press arrived in early November 1836. Robert Thomas and his family had travelled out from England, arriving in South Australia aboard the ship 'The Africaine'. With him was South Australia's first printing press, a Stanhope Invenit No. 200. Thomas, along with George Stevenson, Governor Hindmarsh's private secretary, had been appointed Government Printers. Their first task was publishing the initial edition of the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register in England on 18 June 1836.
Although South Australia was officially proclaimed on 19 February 1836 in England, the proclamation was made on 28 December 1836. Governor Hindmarsh made the announcement at the Old Gum Tree, but the actual proclamation had not yet been printed. On 30 December, Thomas was given orders to prepare for the print run of the proclamation, so the following day, the Governor sent 10 men to assist with moving and preparing the press from where it had been unloaded. On 14 January 1837, the first 3 Acts of the new Executive Council of Government were printed, and two days later, on 16 January 1837, 150 more sheets were printed. This was the official "Proclamation Establishment of Government in SA".