The poster, signed by John Brown, Emigration Agent, advises that two new ships with emigrants are expected shortly, and that the current occupants of the Emigration Depot should vacate it to make room. A schedule of previous arrivals is given to aid in this.

The Emigration Depot was a camp at the corner of West and North Terraces consisting of tents and temporary dwellings. It contained the office for the Emigration Agent and an infirmary. The depot provided temporary accommodation for emigrants until they could find employment or acquire their own land and move out.

From the early 1840s new arrivals were allowed to remain aboard the ship for a fortnight while they found work and housing. The Emigration Depot remained in place until 1851 when it was replaced with the newly built Destitute Asylum adjacent to Government House.

The Eden arrived 24 June 1838 and Henry Porcher 1 July with 200 passengers.

The Diary of John Brown, 1834-1836 (PRG 1002/2 - see extracts above in PDF) gives a unique insight into the often heated and frustrating communication between and relationships with the Colonization Commissioners in the early days of the foundation of the province of South Australia, as they planned to set sail to the new colony. According to Brown, there certainly were many disagreements, betrayals and differences of opinion between His Majesty's Commissioners and despite the best intentions of his sympathisers, it is lucky South Australia was ever colonised at all, due to the fumblings and arguements between other colleagues.

In A Colonial Experience : 1838-1910 : a woman's story of life in Adelaide, Geoffery Manning reveals an impression of the every day tent life of John Brown, through the voice of his fictional character 'Helen. C. Spencer':

"We all rose early and breakfasted with Mrs. Brown, with the parrots chirping over our heads. The coffee mill was nailed to a tree and the roaster stood closeby the side. The fire for cooking was on the ground nearby. John Brown was in his tent, writing, and we were rude enough to look over his shoulder and read what he had written: 'The more we see of the colony, the more our impressions in its favour are confirmed. There is abundance of good land everywhere.... I have dug for water close to my tent and found two feet of rich black earth, mingled with sand...'

Brown, John, 1801? - 1879

Henry Porcher (Ship)

Eden (Ship)

Manning, Geoffery A colonial experience, 1838-1910 : a woman's story of life in Adelaide, the District of Kensington and Norwood together with reminiscences of colonial life Underdale, S. Aust. : Gillingham Printers, 2001

Jaensch, Dean (ed.), The Flinders History of South Australia: Political History , Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 1986

Pike, Douglas, Paradise of Dissent: South Australia 1829-1857 , 2nd edn, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1967

Kwan, Elizabeth. Living in South Australia: a social history, Netley, S. Aust.: South Australian Government Printer, 1987

Migration Museum. From many places: the history and cultural traditions of South Australian people, Kent Town, S. Aust.: Migration Museum (History Trust of S.A.) in association with Wakefield Press, 1995

Parsons, Ronald. Migrant ships for South Australia, 1836-1860 Gumeracha, S.A.: Gould Books, c1988

Pitt, G. Index to pioneers arriving in South Australia from overseas ports, July 1836 to December 1845 Archives Department, 1935

The Flinders history of South Australia. Social history edited by Eric Richards. Netley, S. Aust.: Wakefield Press, 1986. Chapter 9: Social welfare: the government sector

The Wakefield companion to South Australian history. Editor Wilfrid Prest. Kent Town, S. Aust. : Wakefield Press, 2001

SA Memory, The Foundation of South Australia 1800-1851 Diary of John Brown

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition: See Brown, John (1801? - 1879)

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. Wooden Walls and Iron Sides August 2004-