A Governor’s Divine Mission
Between 1838 and 1842, South Australia stood at a crossroads. Would it become a colony shaped by economic opportunism, or would moral and religious reformers define its future? The answer seemed clear when Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler, a Waterloo veteran turned devout Christian, arrived as governor. Converted by William Paley’s Evidences of Christianity in 1818, Gawler rejected material pursuits in favor of spiritual salvation. His fervent belief in “literal veracity” and “moral earnestness” made him an ideal leader for those who envisioned South Australia as a “happy land” guided by divine principles.
Gawler’s appointment delighted colonization commissioners like G. F. Angas, who saw piety as the foundation of a righteous society. Accompanied by his equally devout wife, Maria Cox, Gawler sailed aboard the Pestonjee Bomanjee in June 1838, determined to impose Christian civilization upon the wilderness. His instructions were strict: limit annual expenditures to £8,000, reduce public debt, and avoid unnecessary projects. Yet Gawler’s ambitions extended far beyond fiscal prudence—he sought nothing less than the moral transformation of the colony.
First Encounters: Christianity and Indigenous Relations
Upon landing at Holdfast Bay on October 13, 1838, Gawler addressed a mixed crowd of settlers and Aboriginal people. His speech set the tone for his governance: he urged settlers to treat Indigenous Australians with kindness, framing them as “bone of their bone” and fellow children of God. To the Aboriginal listeners, he preached peace and literacy, hoping they would embrace Christianity. That evening, under Gawler’s direction, the Protector of Aborigines hosted a feast of tea, sugar, and biscuits—a gesture met with laughter but also confusion by Indigenous attendees.
Gawler’s administration quickly aligned with his moral vision. He replaced secular-minded officials with devout Christians, such as Charles Sturt, who shared his belief in divine providence. By January 1839, Gawler publicly declared war on immorality, condemning alcohol and vowing to uplift both settlers and Aboriginal communities. His rhetoric resonated with Adelaide’s respectable classes, who cheered his vision of a society where “godliness and prosperity” walked hand in hand.
The Rise of a Pious Society
Gawler’s influence soon permeated daily life. The editor of the South Australian Gazette, once irascible, now attended church in his finest attire. Social gatherings became sober affairs, with Methodists, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists bonding over tea instead of liquor. David McLaren, a fervent moralist, preached against dancing, gambling, and theater, echoing John Wesley’s call for austerity. Adelaide’s residents embraced spiritual fervor while adhering to strict behavioral codes—libertarian in faith, conformist in conduct.
The arrival of German Lutheran migrants further bolstered this moral crusade. Fleeing Prussian persecution, 537 settlers established devout communities at Klemzig and Hahndorf. Their disciplined labor transformed the wilderness into thriving villages, rejecting Europe’s industrial excesses in favor of agrarian piety. Women curtsied to men, hats were doffed to superiors, and Sundays were reserved for worship—a stark contrast to the “noisy nothings” of revolutionary Europe.
Conflict and Contradictions
Yet Gawler’s idealism clashed with harsh realities. In April 1839, an Aboriginal man murdered a shepherd, sparking outrage among settlers who demanded retribution. At a public meeting, Charles Mann defended colonial expansion as a “great law of nature,” arguing that private property and civilization were divinely ordained. The subsequent trial and execution of two Aboriginal men—conducted with “great propriety,” according to Gawler—revealed the tensions between Christian benevolence and colonial violence.
Financial troubles soon compounded Gawler’s challenges. By 1840, the colony’s debt soared as land sales dwindled. Despite austerity mandates, Gawler overspent on public works, banking on London’s approval. His refusal to consult local elites alienated Adelaide’s bourgeoisie, who demanded representation. When the Colonial Office replaced him with Captain George Grey in 1841, Gawler’s dream of a godly utopia crumbled.
Legacy of a Moral Visionary
Gawler’s tenure ended in disillusionment. Though praised by moral reformers and Aboriginal allies—who lamented his departure as the loss of a “father”—he returned to England in 1842, his policies scrutinized. Yet his legacy endured. South Australia, unlike other colonies, rejected convict labor and maintained a Protestant ethos of industry and temperance. The German settlements thrived, and the ideal of a “civilized” society persisted, even as economic pragmatism took hold.
Gawler’s story is one of paradox: a man who sought to save souls while presiding over systemic dispossession, who preached peace yet sanctioned executions. His vision of a Christian colony faltered, but its echoes lingered in South Australia’s unique identity—a testament to the fraught intersection of faith and empire.