The journeys to South Australia in 1836 were all of different duration, with many factors affecting the length of time it took a vessel to arrive. Each week we read references made to time, some are general references, such as Woodforde who writes, “My time has on the other days been variously employed working at my hut,” while other references are more specific, as Thomas wrote, “I was suddenly startled about 5 o’clock by the loud crowing of a cock.” Today we have systems that enable us to tell the time accurately anywhere in the world, but what was it like in 1836, how did the crew and passengers tell the time at sea? Was the time accurate and how did the time affect the journey to South Australia?
