South Australian Marine Board: 1860-1925

Imaged used with permission of Robert Cuthbert. Date button 1882-1901.

What a wonderful button this was when new. The image is from the Board’s seal, gazetted in 1882:

The Advertiser, 27th October 1882 (as reported in the Advertiser 27th October 1932 page 17).

The words ‘Marine Board Sth Australia’ are within a garter encircling the image, and is surmounted by Queen Victoria’s Crown, dating it from 1882-1901, although the board operated from 1860-1925.

According to the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, in 1860 the board took over the responsibilities of the Trinity House of Port Adelaide and the Port Adelaide Harbour Trust.  The Marine Board was responsible for shipping safety, buoys, lighthouses, pilots, dredging and explosives amongst other functions. They were responsible for Port Darwin, as the Northern Territory was then part of South Australia.

South Australian Weekly Chronicle (Adelaide), 1st September 1860 page 5. Part of a long-winded report in which various members of Government complained they had only just received the Bill, hadn’t had time to properly read it, but still had complaints to make.

State Library of SA: Lighthouse map of the province of South Australia/ Marine Board of South Australia [C 930] 1883. Shows lighthouses, bays, jetties and wharves.

The Sydney Morning Herald (1st January 1926 page 4.

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