Glenelg, South Australia
Glengle /gla'nɛlg/ is a suburb located in South Australia, forming part of the western suburbs of Adelaide. It is situated along the Gulf of St Vincent and is historically significant as the location of a temporary settlement established by Colonel Light in 1837.[1]
History
The suburb of Glenelg is located in sections 204 and 1495 within the Hundred of Noarlunga. Originally, the South Australian Company held section 204 and divided it, but no formal plan was lodged with the General Registry Office. Section 1495, covering 65 acres, was put up for tender by the government, and on March 23, 1839, it was granted to William Finke. A town was then laid out and surveyed by Light, Finniss, and Company. Governor Hindmarsh named it Glenelg in honor of Lord Glenelg, the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The local Aboriginal people referred to the area as "Patawilya," meaning "cloggy green place," and "Kaunnenadla," meaning "place of waters."[2]
Proclamation day
On Proclamation Day, December 28, 1836, Governor John Hindmarsh officially declared the establishment
of the Province of South Australia. This significant event took place at Holdfast Bay, near Glenelg. The proclamation granted legal rights to both colonists and the Indigenous population, underlining equal protection by the government. The day’s proceedings included a ceremonial reading of the official proclamation in front of gathered settlers, followed by a 15-gun salute from the ship Buffalo. This was accompanied by formalities such as oaths of office administered to colonial officers.
The proclamation emphasized orderly governance, the promotion of industry, and adherence to religious and moral standards. It also called for peaceful relations with the Native population, assuring them of protection under British law and advocating for their conversion to Christianity. After the proclamation, celebrations ensued, featuring a cold dinner for attendees, toasts to South Australia's future, and a general sense of hope and unity among the settlers. Governor Hindmarsh’s proclamation marked the beginning of South Australia's transition into a formal British colony.[3]
References
- Macquarie Concise Dictionary, 2006, P.504.
- Manning's Placenames of South Australia, By Geoffrey.H.Manning, 1990, P.77.
- Historic Glenelg, birth place of South Australia, By W.H.Jeanes, 1955, P.11-14.
