South Australian Literary Society

The South Australian Literary Society, also known as the South Australian Literary Association,[1] was active in London before the British colony of Southern Australia had been colonised.

Minutes exist from 1831; however it was formally founded on 29 August 1834. Its purpose was "the cultivation and diffusion of useful knowledge throughout the colony by all means which may lie in its power", in particular literature, the arts, history and natural science. This played a part in the foundation of the South Australian Museum.[1] It attracted 40 members, many of whom became prominent colonists. Fortnightly meetings were held in which the conquest of the area could be planned.[2]

Robert Gouger played a key role in the society. He had been working with Richard Hanson and Edward Gibbon in developing a research library in which they gathered material not just as regards Australia, but also from the experiences of the British colonisation of Canada and North America.[3] Other key people in the foundation of Southern Australia were also involved: Robert Torrens, Rowland Hill, Edward Furniss, John Brown.[2]

References
  1. "A potted history" (PDF). South Australian Museum. 2004. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  2. Spence, Catherine Helen. "An Autobiography" (PDF). University of Sydney Library's collection of Australian Literary and Historical Texts. University of Sydney Library. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  3. Henderson, Kelly. "York Gate Geographical and Colonial Library" (PDF). www.icomos.org. ICOMOS. Retrieved 3 February 2019.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.