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Close in the wake of the 3 vessels dispatched by the South Australian Company came the first of the Commissioners' Ships, the 162 ton brig RAPID. She reached Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, on 20 August, 1836, having sailed from London on 1 May, 1836. (Another source said she was 153 tons, left London on 4 May, and arrived on 19 August).
The Commissioners had appointed two vessels to carry their official Survey Party out to South Australia. They owned the RAPID, but only chartered the CYGNET.
In their first report, the Commissioners said that in addition to Col. William Light, who was in Command, the vessel carried Messrs Field, Pullen, and Hill, as her First, Second and Third Officers, respectively. Also on board were W. Jacobs, Assistant Surveyor; Wm Claughton jnr., Assistant Surveyor; J Woodforde, Surgeon; four steerage passengers (three surveyor's labourers and one female); and a crew of 13 seamen.
Surname Given Names Comments
BRADLEY Mrs. .... .... .... .... .... ....
CLAUGHTON Wm. junior assistant surveyor
GANDY Edward .... .... .... .... .... ....
GANDY Maria .... .... .... .... .... ....
GANDY Wm. .... .... .... .... .... ....
GEPP Thos. .... .... .... .... .... ....
JACOBS W. assistant surveyor
LAWES Wm. LAWS (?)
LOWIS James (?)
MILDRED R.N. (?)
MILDRED George .... .... .... .... .... ....
MILDRED Hiram .... .... .... .... .... ....
THORPE John (?)
WOODFORDE John surgeon
Surname Given Names Comments
BELL Wm. BALL (?)
BARKER Alfred .... .... .... .... .... ....
BRADLEY Wm. .... .... .... .... .... ....
BUCK Robt. .... .... .... .... .... ....
BUCK jr. .... .... .... .... .... ....
CHATFIELD Wm. .... .... .... .... .... ....
CHILDS Geo. J. (?)
DUNCAN John .... .... .... .... .... ....
FREEMANTLE Wm. J. (?)
FIELD W.G. Chief Officer
GODDARD Robt. COPPARD (?)
HILL R.K. 3rd Officer
HODGES W.M. .... .... .... .... .... ....
LIGHT William Captain
MILDEN Joseph (?)
PENTON Geo. PANTON (?)
PULLEN W.S. 2nd Officer
THORNE J.F. .... .... .... .... .... ....
TUCKEY Wm. .... .... .... .... .... ....
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Passenger and crew details were extracted from the periodical Newsletter No. 15 "Before the Buffalo", The Story of South Australia 1800-1836 by H.J. Finnis, President, The Pioneers' Association of South Australia 1964. (Published by The Pioneers' Association of South Australia, Murray House, 77 Grenfell St, Adelaide, South Australia).
"Compilation of a list of passengers carried on the vessels which arrived in South
Australia in the early period of its history is fraught with difficulties. The absence of
records is accounted for no doubt, by accidental destruction by fire of official papers.
Figures given in the S.A. Commissioners' Reports do not accord with the number of names recorded
in the lists of persons carried, when these are available. The South Australian Company's
papers, deposited in the South Australian Archives have made it possible to compile an authentic
list of persons who embarked for South Australia in the Company's vessels".
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Apr 9, 2001
Rob Nelson.
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