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Multicultural heritage: Scots in South Australia

This guide shows the wealth of information available about Chinese, Scottish and German people in early South Australian history.

Newspaper articles

For further relevant articles in South Australian newspapers between 1837 and 1937 see the Manning Index of South Australian History and the Trove database

Advertiser

28 April 1939, p.27 col. F. 'Reviving Scottish customs: State-wide movement inaugurated.'

18 August 1939, p.18 col. B. 'Scottish organisations affiliating.' Principle objective is the preservation of national customs, music and games.

23 July 1946, p.6 cols. G, H. 'War memorial for Scotch College.'

7 July 1947, p.3 col. E. 'Scots girls reach Adelaide.'

30 December 1947, p.4 col. A. 'Scottish migration.' Letter from Secretary of Edinburgh Emigrants Friendship Circle.

15 July 1950, p.4 col. G. 'Scots Cronies' Club formed here.'

21 February 1959, p.10 cols. B-I. 'Campbells kept on coming to 1,400 Ball.' Argyll Highland Ball.

13 March 1966, p.9 cols. H-K. 'Swirling mass of activity at Highland Games.' Adelaide's Scottish community celebrated their annual Highland Games

24 May 1986, Magazine, p.22 cols. B,C. 'Early religious conflict.' Scottish Presbyterianism in South Australia.

28 October 1988, p.4 col. H. 'Scots are gathering.' Glenbarr Scottish gathering in Strathalbyn

17 April 1989, p.4 col. B. 'Caledonian kilts.' Strathalbyn Caledonian Society.

12 July 1989, p.16 cols. A-C. 'Presbyterian Church 1839-1989.' Scots came here (to South Australia) to exercise their religious freedom.

22 January 1990, p.5 cols. D,E. 'Bagpipes blow to honour bard.' Robert Burns Society.

23 November 1990, Getting out magazine, pp.4-5. St. Andrew's Day. Celebrations being held through-out Adelaide by people with a Scottish background.

Chronicle

28 July 1938, p.53 cols. D,E. 'How Scotch settlers reached Adelaide.' Free passage to South Australia on H.M.S. Hercules.

Observer

2 February 1856, p.8 col. B. 'The Highland immigrants.'

9 February 1856, p.6 cols. E-G. 'Immigration Agent's Report.' Scotch immigrants: character; employment difficulties.

10 December 1881, p.25 col. B. 'Caledonian Society.' Foundation of the Society in South Australia; Society's objectives.

3 February 1883, p.36 col. E. 'Caledonian Society, Port Adelaide.'

31 March 1883, p.34 cols. D,E; p.35 cols. A,B. 'Grand Scotch gathering.' Caledonian Society members gathering at Adelaide Oval.

12 April 1884, p.30 col. A. 'Caledonian Shinty Club.'

3 February 1900, p.30 cols. B-D. 'A Scottish Rifle Corps.' Formation.

11 August 1928, p.35. 'Scotch College at Mitcham.' Photographs.

Register

27 October 1838, p.3 col. C. 'Brither Scots.' Festival of St. Andrew.

22 June 1839, p.4 col. A. 'The Scottish Church in South Australia.'

13 July 1839, p.3 cols. A,B. 'Means of worship.' Including Presbyterian worship for Scottish colonists.

24 February 1869, p.2 cols. D-H. 'Opening of the Strathalbyn Tramway.' Governor Sir James Fergusson's speech: favourable comments about persons of 'Scottish extraction.'

26 February 1869, p.2 cols. C-E. 'Sir James Fergusson at Strathalbyn.' Criticism of Scottish nationalism in Sir James's speech at Strathalbyn.

Periodical articles

Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia

No. 1, 1975, pp.1-17. Richards, Eric. 'History from below.' pp.12-13. Scottish Highlanders.

No. 4, 1978, pp.33-64. Richards, Eric. 'The Highland Scots of South Australia.'

No. 17, 1989, pp.25-38. MacGillivray, Leith. 'We have found our paradise: the South-East squattocracy, 1840-1870.' References to Scots settlement throughout text.

Newsletter

Royal Caledonian Society of S.A. Inc. 1976-1982. Continues Royal Caledonian quarterly.

Quiz

8 November 1900, p.17 cols. A-D. Poole, H.E. 'Scotsmen in South Australia: what they have done for the colony.'

15 November 1900, p.16 cols. A-D, p.17 col. A. Poole, H.E. 'Scotsmen in South Australia: what they have done for the colony.'

14 February 1901, p.3, p.6 cols. A-C, p.9. 'Adelaide Scottish Corps.'

14 February 1901, p.8. Table topics: Highland Games and Military Sports.

16 October 1901, p.5. Members of the Council of the Caledonian Society. Photograph

Royal Caledonian quarterly

1962-1976.

Royal Caledonian Society of South Australia (Inc.) Newsletter

1982- Continues Newsletter. Royal Caledonian Society of South Australia Inc

Scot at hame an' abroad

Vol. 1, No. 6, 1 November 1902, pp.15-16. South Australian Caledonian Society.

Vol. 3, No. 9, 1 February 1905, p.19. Mount Gambier Caledonian Society.

Vol. 5, No. 12, 1 May 1907, pp.16-17. The Lothian Club, Adelaide.

Vol. 8, No. 3, 1 August 1909, p.20. S.A. Scottish Infantry Social.

Vol. 8, No. 5, 1 October 1909, p.5. Adelaide Caledonian Pipe Band.

South Australiana

Vol. 8, No. 2, September 1969, pp. 43-83. Calder, William Cormack. 'Jottings by the way, or a journal of a trip from Edinburgh to Adelaide, South Australia, with a few weeks' residence there.' Scotsman W. C. Calder settled in S.A. and became a member of staff of the Register newspaper.

Vantage

Vol. 3, No. 1, Spring, September/November 1979, p.27. 'Caledonia lives.' Scots in South East Australia.

Local societies

Newspaper articles online

You can read digitised newspaper articles about Scots in South Australia online through the National Library of Australia's Historic Australian Newspapers website.

Archival material

Other resources