We children used to run across the road to gather armfuls of wood, as there was plenty of timber under the gums, and all was open country. Our first cottage was on North Terrace, near the Scotch Church, with shingle roof, and when it rained this leaked like a sieve. We got to Port Adelaide without further mishap. It was wonderful to see the strength of man power it saved us from being wrecked. We could see the sea birds on the beach.Īll the sailors tried to raise the anchor but could not, then all the passengers and even we children helped, and at last the anchor came up. In the morning we were amazed to find ourselves close in to shore.
The carpenters had a job to plug the hole, but the captain told us that the vessel would not sink, as she had a full cargo of Baltic timber.Īfter months of the usual weather, calms, storms, fair and foul weather, we reached Kangaroo Island, near Cape Borda, but it was the captain's first voyage, and he did not like risking the Passage in the dark, so dropped anchor. On the voyage out a small fishing cutter in the North Sea ran into us and drove the bowsprit right into us. Klem recently recounted his experience when he came with his parents to South Australia, in 1856 He said, ''My father was a professional gardener and wine-maker, and held a good position, hut through a slight accident got out of military service, and as he had two sons, decided to emigrate to a free country, and chose South Australia so that his hoys should not be brought up for cannon fodder.