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Amongst the early experiences of the colonists during Colonel Gawler's administration must be counted
the DESTRUCTION BY FIRE of several of our first temporary public buildings,
as well as some of the residences of Government officials, the fire-king seeming to mark
such structures (composed of inflammable material, chiefly wooden, and mostly thatched with reeds or grass)
as temptations thrown in his way.
NOTE: Many of the early records of this Colony were destroyed by fire in 1839. January of 1839 was a black month, when the oldest wooden buildings on the park lands, those of Colonel Light, Fisher, and the Land & Survey Office, were burnt down. When a spark lodged in the thatched roof of the Land Office, the fire ran like magic before the wind. In ten minutes the office was an inferno, which leapt at the Survey Office and, in half an hour, not a wall, or a post, was standing.
Except for charring, most of the important documents in an iron safe set in solid masonry were preserved in the Land Office. Draftsmen saved original maps of town acres from the Survey Office, but Hurtle Fisher and Colonel Light lost everything, including the journal Light had kept diligently for 30 years. Scarcely had the flames died down before an alarm was raised again, this time at Government House. It's reed roof and wooden partitions burned like tinder and, in an hour, with its store of valuable documents, it was a heap of ashes and smouldering beams.
The first fire occurred shortly after midday, resulting in the total destruction of two wooden buildings which were situated to the west of the small Post-office, and near where now may be seen the sheep-market, on North Terrace. These were Government offices. One was occupied by the Resident Commissioner and his staff"; the other was used for the Land and Surveyor-General's Offices. The flames spread so rapidly that the officers and clerks were unable to save much, and many books, papers,* and maps were lost. On the day of the fire I was driving on my way to visit sections about halfway to the old Port, and passed near these offices, where business was going on as usual. On my return, when about five miles from town, I saw smoke spring up, and although I drove at a quick pace, when I reached the scene of the fire the two buildings were reduced to smoking heaps. Great inconvenience was experienced by the loss of books and public documents. The Resident Commissioner was Mr. (afterwards Sir James) Fisher, and the dwelling which contained his office was also his private residence. Colonel Light, the Surveyor-General, had also lived in the other dwelling, and the devouring element did its work so rapidly that he saved nothing of the cases he had left there for safety when he retired from the office, containing his journal to date, and records of his experiences in Turkey, Egypt, the Mediterranean, and on the battie-fields of Spain, where he served on the staff" of Wellington. Colonel Light felt the loss of his journal very deeply, and stated that he would not have parted with it for several thousand pounds.
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The next building which met a similar fate was Government House, a temporary erection of one storey, with a thatched roof, the timbers principally of native pine, procured from what was then called the Pine Forest, now known as Nailsworth. The fire commenced a short time before midnight, on the outside of the roof, and was supposed, and with good reason, to have been ignited, by an insane gentleman, whom, I may mention, I met under that roof at a Government ball in Captain Hindmarsh's time. This fire was also almost like a flash of gunpowder, and very little of Colonel Gawler's property was saved. The police were on the spot in a very few minutes, and Inspector Tolmer, after breaking in the window of his Excellency's private office, had succeeded in dragging a small safe or tin deed-box to the window, and had himself passed out again, when the roof fell in before the safe could be lifted out A loss of most important papers and documents was thus sustained by Colonel Gawler. At the time the roof fell in, and as the inspector was at the window, the fire reached a loaded musket, and the ball passed those who were leaving the window. The Governor and his son were present ready to receive the box if it could have been saved; and to do which the inspector risked his life, as the blazing thatch fell on him, but he escaped with only minor burns.
NOTE: Before the year [1839] was out, the wooden home of John Brown, Emigration Agent, was similarly destroyed,
Very few of his papers and documents was saved.
Unfortunately these included many of the "Original Passenger Lists" for voyages to South Australia between 1836 and 1838.
Copies of those which have survived have been included on this CD.
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These two fires forced upon the Governor the task of erecting a substantial Government house, and Government offices. Part only of the present modest palace was erected in his time, as well as a very small part of the present public offices. This necessity was a further calamity, as thereby labour was absorbed by the Government which was required by the colonists, and, in consequence, wages rose to an inconvenient extent, and private works were hindered.
The first portion of the present Government House was built in 1839. It was built of earth and wood, with thatched rood, by marines fron the "Buffalo".
It was occupied first by Governor Hindmarsh and later by Governor Gawler, and was destroyed by fire in 1841.
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Sometime afterwards occurred the burning of a structure called the Octagon Cottage, the first residence of the Colonial Treasurer, Osmond Gilles, Esq., one of the London-built frame houses, constructed of deal, which he had given, with the land on which it stood, as a parsonage for St John's Church. At the time of this fire the cottage was occupied by the widow of our first Colonial chaplain, with whom was her sister. The fire broke out aft;er the ladies had retired to rest, and they had only time to save their lives.
Source: John W. Bull's EARLY EXPERIENCES OF COLONIAL LIFE in SOUTH AUSTRALIA (Adelaide, 1878)
Copy held at the State Library of South Australia, and at http://www.archive.org/details/earlyexperience01bullgoog
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