A journal kept by Y. B. Hutchinson during his journey to South Australia on the Buffalo 13 July 1836 - 23 January 1837.

It includes descriptive passages especially regarding the weather, conditions and events onboard. There are also entries made after settlement had begun. It is interesting to note that Hutchinson was involved with the Colonial Commissioners and that he attended Government House. According to a small annotation from Wednesday 27 December 1837, he also either witnessed and/or reported a 'Corobbery'.

Extracts from the Buffalo ship board diary of Young Bingham Hutchinson, 1836-1837(PRG 1013/1)

Thursday 28th.Light airs and fine. Steering N. by S. The whole of the crew and passengers assembled to witness the celebration of three weddings on board, previous to which parts of the Morning Service of Prayer, and parts of the prayers to be used at sea were offered up by the Rev. C. B. Howard. After the ceremony the married couples and bridesmaids were regaled in the cabin by His Excellency. The first number of the 'Buffalo Telegraph' appeared. The wedding parties were regaled with wine on the quarter-deck, after which followed singing and dancing. Wind freshened during the evening against us. Shortened sail.

It could be said that the first woman to be involved with the press in South Australia was Miss Mary Hindmarsh who edited a hand produced news sheet on board the Buffalo, during the journey to South Australia. This was titled the Buffalotelegraph, unfortunately no copies have survived.

Sunday 28th.Heavy rain; wind West. Course South mustered the crew and emigrants and read the Articles of War (by the Governor); lowered the topsails in squalls. Took in one reef. Noon, miles run 89 + 2697 = 2786. people very busy catching water in various vessels, water being scarcer yesterday than Brandy or wine; that is to say that I could get brandy or wine to drink more easier than water. In second reef of topsails; down royal yards.

Tuesday 3rd.Moderate and cloudy. Strangways and I went ashore to Mr. Gouger's (Col. Sec) tent, and were sworn in Justices of the peace, Took a walk and saw three kangaroos.

Wednesday 4th.Attended at Mr. Gouger's tent to swear in High Constable and Constables, and elect a clerk to the Bench of Magistrates. Dined with Mr. Gouger, and at sunset went down to the beach to go on board, but the surf being high, and the boat unable to take us all, we returned and Strangways and I slept on the ground in a tent belonging to Mr. Brown's servants: six women slept in another tent.

Tuesday 12th.Fine. Boat started for the bar: cart and ourselves started for the Fishery at Granite Island. At 10 three of the boats crew returned and informed us that Sir John Jeffcott, Captain Blenkinshop, Geo: Wright and Henry Brooks were drowned by the filling of the boat on the bar.

Wednesday 27th.A few drops of rain. Bought 250bricks. Signed requisition to Colonial Commissioners respecting Encounter Bay: attended resident magistrates' court. Called at Government House. Corobbery.

Young Bingham (Y.B.) Hutchinson was born 14 August 1806, at Richmond, Surrey. He was the son of Andrew Hutchinson and Anne Parker. Hutchinson joined the Royal Navy and served as a lieutenant on Dom Joas 1833-1834 and later came to South Australia on the Buffalo. He attended the first land sales in Adelaide and bought several town lots and also country sections in the Encounter Bay district. One of the colony's first Justice of the Peace, Hutchinson held a post as the Emigration Agent from September 1837 to February 1838, following the dismissal of John Brown, who was the first emigration agent in South Australia. Hutchinson left the colony for England in November 1838 and stayed there about 20 years. He married Augusta Emma Kingdom in 1852, and produced three daughters and two sons. On return to South Australia, he lived with his family on property at Hindmarsh Valley near Victor Harbor. Bingham died 3 August 1870 at Hindmarsh Valley.

References to Hutchinson appear in the South Australian colonial register newspaper 1838 editions, including a publication of a letter signed by Hutchinson objecting to the position of the site reserved for a secondary town at Encounter Bay (July 1838), a publication of a letter from Hutchinson regarding Sir James Hurtle Fisher's affidavit and accusations of corruption in connection with the sale of pork (April 1838), and a publication supporting Sir James Hurtle Fisher's application for a criminal investigation against Y.B. Hutchinson (April 1838). There was also published a report of a quarrel between Fisher and Y.B. Hutchinson (February 1838), and a report of the discovery of a route to Mt. Lofty (July 1837). Interestingly, Bingham also published an account of the discovery of the first snail (July 1837).

Image is of Governor Galwer's tents by Julia Gawler, PRG 50/35

Buffalo (ship)

Brown, John, 1801-1879

Hutchinson, Young Bingham, 1806-1870

Hutchinson, Young Bingham, Ascent of Mount Lofty, 1837 Aldgate, S.A.: Pump Press, 1957

Jennings, Helen Young Bingham Hutchinson (1806-70) and the foundation of South Australia Adelaide: Pioneers' Association of South Australia, 1991

Pitt, George The press in South Australia, 1836 to 1850. Adelaide: The Wakefield Press, 1946

Williams, Gwenneth South Australian exploration to 1856 Adelaide: Board of Governors of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of South Australia, 1919

South Australian Gazette And Colonial Register 20 January 1838

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

Diary of John Brown (PRG 1002/2)

State Library of South Australia, Archival collections Papers of John Brown - PRG 1002

Mitchell Library and State Library of New South Wales

Australian dictionary of biography online edition Brown, John

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