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Rapid 20 Aug 1836
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* Although this information has been compiled in good faith,
please refer to primary sources for confirmation and further research.

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[ Voyage Details | Passenger List | Crew List | Sources ]


Close in the wake of the 3 vessels dispatched by the South Australian Company came the first of the Commissioners' Ships, the 162 ton brig RAPID. She reached Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, on 20 August, 1836, having sailed from London on 1 May, 1836. (Another source said she was 153 tons, left London on 4 May, and arrived on 19 August).

The Commissioners had appointed two vessels to carry their official Survey Party out to South Australia. They owned the RAPID, but only chartered the CYGNET.

In their first report, the Commissioners said that in addition to Col. William Light, who was in Command, the vessel carried Messrs Field, Pullen, and Hill, as her First, Second and Third Officers, respectively. Also on board were W. Jacobs, Assistant Surveyor; Wm Claughton jnr., Assistant Surveyor; J Woodforde, Surgeon; four steerage passengers (three surveyor's labourers and one female); and a crew of 13 seamen.

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RAPID
[20 August, 1836]
Passenger List

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         Surname      Given Names                      Comments

         BRADLEY      Mrs.           ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         CLAUGHTON    Wm.           junior assistant surveyor
         GANDY        Edward         ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         GANDY        Maria          ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         GANDY        Wm.            ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         GEPP         Thos.          ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         JACOBS       W.            assistant surveyor
         LAWES        Wm.           LAWS (?)
         LOWIS        James         (?)
         MILDRED      R.N.          (?)
         MILDRED      George         ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         MILDRED      Hiram          ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         THORPE       John          (?)
         WOODFORDE    John          surgeon
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RAPID
[20 August, 1836]
Crew List

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         Surname      Given Names                      Comments

         BELL         Wm.           BALL (?)
         BARKER       Alfred         ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         BRADLEY      Wm.            ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         BUCK         Robt.          ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         BUCK         jr.            ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         CHATFIELD    Wm.            ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         CHILDS       Geo.          J. (?)
         DUNCAN       John           ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         FREEMANTLE   Wm.           J. (?)
         FIELD        W.G.          Chief Officer
         GODDARD      Robt.         COPPARD (?)
         HILL         R.K.          3rd Officer
         HODGES       W.M.           ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         LIGHT        William       Captain
         MILDEN       Joseph        (?)
         PENTON       Geo.          PANTON (?)
         PULLEN       W.S.          2nd Officer
         THORNE       J.F.           ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....
         TUCKEY       Wm.            ....    ....    ....    ....    ....    ....

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SOURCES

Passenger and crew details were extracted from the periodical Newsletter No. 15 "Before the Buffalo", The Story of South Australia 1800-1836 by H.J. Finnis, President, The Pioneers' Association of South Australia 1964. (Published by The Pioneers' Association of South Australia, Murray House, 77 Grenfell St, Adelaide, South Australia).

"Compilation of a list of passengers carried on the vessels which arrived in South Australia in the early period of its history is fraught with difficulties. The absence of records is accounted for no doubt, by accidental destruction by fire of official papers. Figures given in the S.A. Commissioners' Reports do not accord with the number of names recorded in the lists of persons carried, when these are available. The South Australian Company's papers, deposited in the South Australian Archives have made it possible to compile an authentic list of persons who embarked for South Australia in the Company's vessels".


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