82, I attended the staff office and began my new duties.
The general asked me to draw up a short memorandum setting out how best
to utilize my time up to the end of the financial year--June 30. My
special work was the instruction of the Volunteer Companies and
detachments stationed in the country, as apart from the units maintained
within the metropolitan area of Adelaide. It is worth while for you to
study the map of South Australia. In order to carry out these duties very
large tracts of country had to be covered by rail and road.

The amount of money placed on the estimates to cover travelling expenses
was by no means large, so it was very necessary to work out an itinerary
for the half-year, which, while enabling the units to get as much
instruction as possible, would not entail any expenditure beyond that
placed at my disposal. In addition to this, I was in charge of the office
work in connexion with the whole of the Volunteer branch of the military
forces at that time serving in South Australia. With the assistance of a
smart clerk placed at my disposal by the general I was well able to
fulfil these duties to his satisfaction. By the end of the week the
itinerary submitted by me received approval and a fair start was made.

The Colony of South Australia was founded upon lines that differed from
those on which the rest of the Australian Colonies started their
existence. The Chartered Company of South Australia was entrusted by the
British Government with the development of an immense tract of country
stretching right up through the centre of Australia from the south to the
north coast. The Northern Territory came under its administration. This
tract of country approached in size nearly to one-third of the whole of
Australia. South Australia has been called the "Cinderella" of the
Australian Colonies, not only because she was the youngest, but also
because of the character of her constitution. The original settlers had
landed on virgin soil, untainted by previous settlements of convict
prisoners. South Australia had not begun as a Crown Colony. The Chartered
Company had been granted self government from the day that the ships
conveying the original settlers cast their anchors off the shores of
Glenelg, and they held their first official meeting under the spreading
branches of the gum tree whose bent old trunk still marks that historic
spot. It was on December 28, 1836, that the landing took place. Every
year since t