Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 52
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
These earlier papers, dating from 1845 to 1851, about the
establishment of the boundary line between the Colonies of New
South Wales and South Australia include both originals and copies
of Colonial Secretary in-letters, despatches from the Secretary of
State to the Governor of New South Wales, despatches between
the Governors of South Australia and New South Wales, extracts
from minutes of proceedings of the Executive Council, and Colonial
Secretary and Governor's Minutes and Memoranda.
Other inclusions are a sketch showing the present eastern
boundary of South Australia and the boundary proposed by
Governor Grey and by Sir T L Mitchell, which was laid before the
Executive Council at its meeting of 3 February 1846; and, a copy
of the South Australia Proclamation adopting and recognising the
boundary line between the two Colonies, as laid down by Mr Wade,
18 December 1847.
Moreton Bay
First steps towards Separation
As stated by the Secretary of State in his Despatch of 30 August 1850 (received in the
Colony on 11 January 1851) in which the Australian Colonies Government Act, 13 & 14
Vic c.59, was forwarded, sections 34 and 35 included provisions, which
were introduced on consideration of the peculiar circumstances of that large and
important portion of the colony which lies to the northward, particularly in the
direction of Moreton Bay. The centre of the peopled part of that district is as far from
Sydney as Melbourne itself. And it is impossible not to foresee that the same
inconveniences which have led to the separation of Victoria from New South Wales,
may at no distant time be felt in the north. It has been thought therefore expedient
that the Crown should possess the power of forming a new colony or colonies so as to
include Moreton Bay, and of communicating Representative institutions to the
inhabitants of any district so divided from New South Wales. But this power is only to
be exercised on petition from the householders of the territory affected by the
arrangement. Her Majesty's Government can have no interest in promoting the
formation of any such new colony, and the clauses adverted to merely secure the
means of carrying into execution the distinct wish of the inhabitants themselves.
Section 34 of the Australian Colonies Government Act, 13 & 14 Vic c.59, reserved power
to the Queen to erect into separate colony or colonies any territories which were or might
be comprised within the Colony of New South Wales, and also provided that upon
petition of the inhabitants, territories lying north of the thirtieth degree of South Latitude
could be detached from New South Wales.
The separation movement of the Moreton Bay or Northern Districts was complicated by
two outstanding issues: separation with or without convicts (the squatters wanting cheap
convict labour while most of the free population were against any revival of convict
transportation), and the location of the southernmost boundary of a new colony formed
from the Northern Districts of New South Wales. Both were contentious issues, the
former perhaps less so, as universally, the inhabitants of the Colony of New South Wales
had voiced their disapprobation about the revival of transportation when mooted by the
Secretary of State in the late 1840s. For the latter the question was whether the New
England and nearby northern districts of New South Wales would be separated and
become part of a new northern colony.
Agitation for the separation of the Moreton Bay District or Northern Districts began in the
latter part of 1850. It is clear from this first of many petitions, ie that from the
inhabitants of the New England and Macleay River districts (the districts lying north of
State Records Authority of New South Wales
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