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'''South Australia''' is a state of [[Australia]] occupying the south central portion of the continent.

'''South Australia''' is a state of [[Australia]] occupying the south central portion of the continent.

 

==Geography and climate==

==Geography and climate==

South Australia has a total area of 984,377 square kilometres.<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au/Websitedbs/c311215.nsf/22b99697d1e47ad8ca2568e30008e1bc/58bdff866e02e0d7ca2569b5001c33c5!OpenDocument South Australia], Australian Bureau of Statistics, accessed 19 May 2007</ref> Most of South Australia has a temperate climate with Summer from December to February and winter from June to August. Snow is rare, with falls occurring some years in the Mount Lofty or Flinders ranges, but usually having melted by lunchtime the same day.

South Australia has a total area of 984,377 square kilometres.<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au/Websitedbs/c311215.nsf/22b99697d1e47ad8ca2568e30008e1bc/58bdff866e02e0d7ca2569b5001c33c5!OpenDocument South Australia], Australian Bureau of Statistics, accessed 19 May 2007</ref> Most of South Australia has a temperate climate with Summer from December to February and winter from June to August. Snow is rare, with falls occurring some years in the Mount Lofty or Flinders ranges, but usually having melted by lunchtime the same day.

South Australia was created as a planned British colony in 1836. It is the only state of Australia to never have received convicts transported from Great Britain. Settlement started in the capital city, [[Adelaide]] and gradually moved out to the rest of the state.

South Australia was created as a planned British colony in 1836. It is the only state of Australia to never have received convicts transported from Great Britain. Settlement started in the capital city, [[Adelaide]] and gradually moved out to the rest of the state.

South Australia was a product of carefully planned colonization. The site and layout of its capital city, Adelaide, were selected by a competent surveyor in 1837. Not being endowed with rich mineral resources or large expanses of fertile land, the colony soon developed an industrial structure of its own. This included the establishment and growth of extensive farm machinery industry in the 1870s and 1880s, metal working industries in the subsequent decades, and since 1917 an automotive industry. The state government frequently took an interest and a hand in industrial stimulation and development. This enabled South Australia to pursue a consistent course of expansion and diversification of its secondary industry.  

South Australia was a product of carefully planned colonization, promoted by energetic reformer [[Edward Gibbon Wakefield]] (1796-1862). The site and layout of its capital city, Adelaide, were selected by a competent surveyor in 1837. Not being endowed with rich mineral resources or large expanses of fertile land, the colony soon developed an industrial structure of its own. This included the establishment and growth of extensive farm machinery industry in the 1870s and 1880s, metal working industries in the subsequent decades, and since 1917 an automotive industry. The state government frequently took an interest and a hand in industrial stimulation and development. This enabled South Australia to pursue a consistent course of expansion and diversification of its secondary industry.  

From the time of South Australia's settlement in late 1836 seamen started to desert in an effort to better their conditions. Despite frequent representations from masters, colonial administrators were reluctant to act, despite the fact that the colony's council had passed an act in 1838 to regulate seamen in Port Adelaide that was more stringent than 1835 imperial legislation. Instead, the colony's administrators maintained that the only way to prevent desertion was for captains to show more concern for the needs and comfort of their crews. The administration was therefore unwilling to expend police and court time in apprehending and prosecuting deserters. They were not, however, adverse to hiring their police services to private shipping interests. After 1852 policemen, paid by the captains, were sent on board to prevent desertion.<ref> David Mackay, "Desertion of Merchant Seamen in South Australia, 1836-1852: A Case Study," ''International Journal of Maritime History'' [Canada] 1995 7(2): 53-73. </ref>

From the time of South Australia's settlement in late 1836 seamen started to desert in an effort to better their conditions. Despite frequent representations from masters, colonial administrators were reluctant to act, despite the fact that the colony's council had passed an act in 1838 to regulate seamen in Port Adelaide that was more stringent than 1835 imperial legislation. Instead, the colony's administrators maintained that the only way to prevent desertion was for captains to show more concern for the needs and comfort of their crews. The administration was therefore unwilling to expend police and court time in apprehending and prosecuting deserters. They were not, however, adverse to hiring their police services to private shipping interests. After 1852 policemen, paid by the captains, were sent on board to prevent desertion.<ref> David Mackay, "Desertion of Merchant Seamen in South Australia, 1836-1852: A Case Study," ''International Journal of Maritime History'' [Canada] 1995 7(2): 53-73. </ref>