The South Australian Literary and Scientific Association, formerly the South Australian Literary Association and also known as the South Australian Literary Society, was active in London before the
British colonisation of South Australia after its establishment on 29 August 1834. The Association played a part in the foundation of the
South Australian Museum, the
State Library of South Australia
The State Library of South Australia, or SLSA, formerly known as the Public Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research l ...
and the
Royal Society of South Australia.
History
On 29 August 1834, a couple of weeks after the passing of the ''
South Australia Act 1834'',
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/ref> a group led by the Colonial Secretary, Robert Gouger
Robert Gouger (; 26 June 1802 – 4 August 1846) was one of the founders of South Australia and the first Colonial Secretary of South Australia.
Early life
Gouger was the fifth son of nine children of George Gouger (1763–1802), who was a pr ...
, and solicitor Richard Hanson[ and a number of prominent colonists, including ]Ernest Giles
William Ernest Powell Giles (20 July 1835 – 13 November 1897), best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led five major expeditions to parts of South Australia and Western Australia.
Early life
Ernest Giles was born in Bris ...
, Edward Gibbon Wakefield, John Morphett, Robert Torrens Snr, and John Hindmarsh
Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH (baptised 22 May 1785 – 29 July 1860) was a naval officer and the first Governor of South Australia, from 28 December 1836 to 16 July 1838.
Family
His grandfather William Hindmarsh was a gardener in Con ...
formed the South Australian Literary Association in Adelphi Chambers, London.[ Within a month, the title was changed to the more inclusive South Australian Literary and Scientific Association.][ Its aim was "the cultivation and diffusion of useful knowledge throughout the colony by all means which may lie in its power", in particular literature, the arts, history and ]natural science
Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatab ...
".[
Gouger played a key role in the society. He had been working with Hanson and Wakefield in developing a research library in which they gathered material not just as regards Australia, but also from the experiences of the British colonisation of Canada and North America.] Other key people in the foundation of Southern Australia were also involved: Rowland Hill
Sir Rowland Hill, KCB, FRS (3 December 1795 – 27 August 1879) was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of Uniform Penny Post and his sol ...
, Edward Furniss
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...
and John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
. It attracted 40 members within its first 16 months of meetings in London, many of whom became prominent colonists. Fortnightly meetings were held in which the conquest of the area could be planned.
The members of the association were radical reformers, holding ideals of social equity and separation of church and state, and were all wealthy, well-educated gentlemen
A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...
. Their ideals overlapped to some degree with the lower-brow Mechanics' Institute movement, with both originating in the huge increase in industry, printed matter, knowledge and ideas in the early 19th century. They all wanted to use this new knowledge to improve themselves and society, using lectures, classes and libraries.
Although the Association lapsed and meetings ceased,[ a collection of books donated by members was intended as the basis of the new colony's library, and the colonists brought the collection to the Colony of South Australia aboard the '' Tam O'Shanter'', which arrived on 18 December 1836.][
It played a part in the foundation of the South Australian Museum,] the State Library of South Australia (via a merger with the Adelaide Mechanics' Institute
The State Library of South Australia, or SLSA, formerly known as the Public Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research ...
, creating the Mechanics' Institute and South Australian Library), and the Royal Society of South Australia.
See also
* Mechanics' institutes of Australia
* South Australian Literary Societies' Union
References
1831 establishments in England
Culture of South Australia
Literary societies
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