Editing Proclamation Day (section)

===Background===
Proclamation Day in South Australia celebrates the establishment of government in the [[colony of South Australia]] as a British [[province]]. The province itself was officially created and proclaimed in 1834 when the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British Parliament]] passed the [[South Australia Act 1834]], which empowered [[William IV of the United Kingdom|King William IV]] to create South Australia as a British province and to provide for its colonisation and government. It was ratified 19 February 1836 when King William issued [[Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia|Letters Patent establishing the province]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Anderson|first1=Margaret|url=http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/subjects/the-proclamation|website=Adelaidia|title=The Proclamation |date=9 June 2017 |publisher=HistorySA|access-date=29 August 2017}}</ref> The proclamation announcing the establishment of Government was made by Captain [[John Hindmarsh]] beside [[The Old Gum Tree]] at the present-day suburb of [[Glenelg North, South Australia|Glenelg North]] on 28 December 1836. The proclamation specified the same protection under the law for the local [[Australian Aborigine|native]] population as for the settlers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/subjects/the-proclamation|title=The Proclamation |last=Anderson| first=Margaret| website=Adelaidia, HistorySA |date=9 June 2017 |access-date=29 Dec 2018}}</ref>

The proclamation was drafted aboard {{HMS|Buffalo|1813|2}} by Hindmarsh's private secretary, George Stevenson, and printed by [[Robert Thomas (newspaper proprietor)|Robert Thomas]] (1782–1860), who came from England with his family on {{ship||Africaine|1832 ship|2}}, arriving at [[Holdfast Bay]] on 8 November 1836.  Thomas brought with him the first printing press to reach South Australia. The press was a Stanhope Invenit No. 200,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://migration.history.sa.gov.au/collections/historical-relics-collection/stanhope-press |title=Stanhope Press |work=Migration Museum |publisher=[[Government of South Australia]] |access-date=21 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222100313/http://migration.history.sa.gov.au/collections/historical-relics-collection/stanhope-press |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was on display in the [[State Library of South Australia|State Library]] until 2001.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

It was signed by the [[Secretary of State for the Colonies|Colonial Secretary]], [[Robert Gouger]], who had also travelled on the ''Africaine''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gouger-robert-2109|title= Gouger, Robert (1802–1846)]| work=[[Australian Dictionary of Biography]], Volume 1|publisher=[[Melbourne University Press]]|date=1966|pages=461–463}}</ref>

The [[First Fleet of South Australia|colonising fleet]] prior to ''Buffalo'' consisted of eight vessels which had first arrived at [[Nepean Bay]] on [[Kangaroo Island]] before being directed to [[Holdfast Bay]] on the mainland.  The first vessel to arrive at Nepean Bay was ''Duke of York'' on 27 July 1836 which did not proceed to Holdfast Bay but instead set off on a whaling expedition.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Heinrich|first1=Dorothy |title=The Man Who Hunted Whales |date=2011 |publisher=Awoonga |isbn=9780646553009 |page=38}}</ref> ''Africaine''<ref>[http://boundforsouthaustralia.com.au/journey-content/africaine.html ''Africaine''], Bound for South Australia<br>[https://www.geni.com/projects/Africaine-Barque-Colonists-to-South-Australia-in-1836/30876 ''Africaine'' (Barque ) – Colonists to South Australia in 1836], Geni.com</ref> was the seventh to arrive at Nepean Bay (4 Nov 1836), discharging settlers at Holdfast Bay on 9 November 1836.  Seven of these earlier ships preceded Governor John Hindmarsh on ''Buffalo'' to enable preparations in advance of his formal arrival on 28 December.{{cn|date=December 2020}} Thomas's wife [[Mary Thomas (poet)|Mary]] (1787–1875) published ''The Diary of Mary Thomas'', in which she described the journey on ''Africaine'' and the early years in South Australia.  An extract from the diary reads: "About December 20th 1836, we built a rush hut a short distance from our tents for the better accommodation of part of our family... and in this place (about 12 feet square) the first printing in South Australia was produced".<ref>{{Citation |title=Diary of Mary Thomas |date=1836 |first=Mary |last=Thomas}}</ref>

==== Text of the Proclamation  ====
<blockquote>By His Excellency John Hindmarsh, Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty’s Province of South Australia.

In announcing to the Colonists of His Majesty’s Province of South Australia, the establishment of the Government, I hereby call upon them to conduct themselves on all occasions with order and quietness, duly to respect the laws, and by a course of industry and sobriety, by the practice of sound morality and a strict observance of the Ordinances of Religion, to prove themselves worthy to be the Founders of a great and free Colony.

It is also, at this time especially, my duty to apprize the Colonists of my resolution, to take every lawful means for extending the same protection to the Native Population as to the rest of His Majesty’s Subjects and of my firm determination to punish with exemplary severity, all acts of violence or injustice which may in any manner be practiced or attempted against the Natives who are to be considered as much under the Safeguard of the law as the Colonists themselves, and equally entitled to the privileges of British Subjects. I trust therefore, with confidence to the exercise of moderation and forbearance by all Classes, in their intercourse with the Native Inhabitants, and that they will omit no opportunity of assisting me to fulfil His Majesty’s most gracious and benevolent intentions toward them, by promoting their advancement in civilization, and ultimately, under the blessing of Divine Providence, their conversion to the Christian Faith.

By His Excellency’s Command,<br>
Robert Gouger,<br>
Colonial Secretary.<br>
Glenelg, 28th December 1836.<br>

God Save the King.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>