Light considers ranges would produce rain |
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| Title : | Light considers ranges would produce rain |
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| Creator : | Light, William, 1786-1839 | ||
| Source : | A brief journal of the proceedings of William Light ..., p. 13 | ||
| Place Of Creation : | Adelaide | ||
| Publisher : | A. Macdougall | ||
| Date of creation : | 1839 | ||
| Format : | Book | ||
| Contributor : | State Library catalogue | ||
| Catalogue record | |||
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| Description : |
Colonel William Light was appointed Surveyor General of the newly proclaimed province of South Australia and given detailed instructions on examining the entire South Australian coastline in pursuit of the best site for the main town, soil conditions, water and a good harbour among other conditions. By 5 October 1836 Light had still not definitely found Jones' harbour. This harbour described by the sealer captain John Jones had sounded ideal for a main harbour and would later be identified by Light and his men as the Port River. With his years of experience in Mediterranean countries Light believed the eastern side of Saint Vincent Gulf would be the best site for the major town. The prevailing south westerly winds and the closeness of the ranges behind the adjacent plain would mean that this region would never suffer the droughts experienced in eastern Australia, as rain would fall here. He decided to continue to the south looking for a large river described by an Aboriginal woman. The Rapid again rode out a storm at the safe anchorage in Holdfast Bay. Light had been in the army in Spain during the Napoleonic Wars, serving in mapping, reconnaissance and liaison duties. He then spent a number of years on duty in parts of the United Kingdom, before resigning from the Army. Subsequent to this he spent more time in Spain, and then from 1824 to 1835 spent his time in Europe and the Mediterranean, where he cruised extensively in his yacht Gulnare. It was this period that gave him the experience of land contours, winds and other factors that would enable him to make his deductions about the climate on the east coast of Saint Vincent Gulf. |
| Subjects | |
| Related names : | Light, William, 1786-1839 Rapid (Ship) |
| Coverage year : | 1836 |
| Period : | 1836-1851 |
| Place : | South Australia |
| Region : | Adelaide metropolitan area |
| Further reading : | Light, William, William Light's brief journal and Australian diaries Adelaide: Wakefield Press, 1984 Johnson, Donald Leslie, The Adelaide city plan: fiction and fact Adelaide: Wakefield Press, 1986 Dutton, Geoffrey, Colonel William Light: founder of a city Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1991 Mayo, M. P. The life and letters of Col. William Light Adelaide: F.W. Preece & Sons, 1937 |
| Internet links : | SA Memory, The Foundation of South Australia 1800-1851 Colonel William Light Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition: Light, William (1786-1839) William Light : Wikipedia |
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