Robert Gouger kept a diary of his voyage to South Australia, headed ‘Some rough notes of a voyage from Gravesend to South Australia in the Africaine, Captain Duff, 316 register, commencing on June 30 1836.’ Gouger started writing his diary on 13 July, having ‘been on board nearly a fortnight’, partly ‘by way of amusement’ and partly to fulfil his promise to friends and relations in England. His account of the voyage, written in a tiny, neat hand, starts with a summary of events since their departure from Gravesend on 30 June.
The original is held in the State Library of South Australia (PRG 1012/1). The transcript used on this site is from Penelope Hope’s 1968 publication The Voyage of the Africaine: A collection of journals, letters and extracts from contemporary publications.
The State Library also holds an undated transcript of parts two and three of Gouger’s diary, made by his second wife, Sarah, from the original manuscript (the location of which is unknown). Part two runs from 21 September to 17 November 1836, and part three is titled ‘Extract from a memoranda of a residence in Holdfast Bay’. The transcript of Gouger’s diary from 21 September to 31 December 1836 used on this site is based on this copy, which appears to include most of the original, and indicates omissions with a series of crosses: xxx. Sarah Gouger’s transcript was transcribed for this site by Bob Sexton.
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