James Clarks of the Fleurieu Peninsula

I'm trying to pin down James Clark, brother of Tom Clark, Chief headsman of the Encounter Bay Whale fishery. James apparently came to South Australia from Sydney, bringing his family overland on a horse-drawn dray. This was not the way people normally travelled between the colonies. It would have meant crossing unmapped territory and to me the story is extremely unlikely. Except for the possibility that they may have have come with the mobs of cattle that were brought overland from NSW, only the direst necessity would have driven a family with three toddlers to undertake such a dangerous journey. Perhaps the family made the last part of the journey from their port of arrival to Encounter Bay on a horse-drawn dray. I've seen reports of other arriving at Encounter Bay in this manner. But what Port of arrival would that have been? There are no likely candidates for James and family among the recorded arrivals to South Australia by ship.

It looks like James was at Encounter Bay for the peak of the whaling, until about 1850. Where did he go then? There are many references to James Clark/Clarke in newspapers and some detective work is required to sort out which might be our Jim.

In 1843ish:

• James Clark, father of R.B.Clark, brought his family to SA from Sydney via horse dray.

In 1848 there were:

• James Clark who had a fishery at the mouth of the Onkaparinga River (1.) However, this was established in 1841. ["Whaling Station, Onkaparinga River.Commissioner of Police reporting the establishment of a station at the mouth of the river, and suggesting an increase in the police establishment in order to cope with possible smuggling." March 30th, 1841 State Archives, Letters Received by the Colonial Secretary]
• James Clark Jr, son of the above (1.)

In 1850 there were:

• James Clark, farmer of Onkaparinga AND Samuel Clark, farmer of Onkaparinga.(2)
• James Clark, Postman, of Encounter Bay (2.)
• James Clarke at whose house mass was celebrated at Encounter Bay in 1850. (3.)

 In 1854:

• James Clark, proprietor of  Sections Nos. 655, 656 and 682, in the Hundred of Myponga (4)

In 1891, our James Clark died

In 1910:

• The late James Clarke of Yankalilla, whose third daughter Emma, married Hugh Smith (5)

References

1. Adelaide Observer SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE 30 Sep 1848
2.  DECLARATION OF CONFIDENCE IN MR JOHN STEPHENS. (1850, March 9). Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), p. 3 (Supplement to the "Adelaide Observer."). Retrieved May 26, 2018, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159531834 
3. Historic Churches and Parishes of South Australia - Willunga   
4. Advertising (1854, January 21). Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), p. 8. Retrieved May 26, 2018, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158096207 
5. Family Notices (1910, May 14). The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), p. 1. Retrieved May 26, 2018, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209910994

Not our James Clark:

• James Clark of the Exeter Hotel, Rundle Street
• James Clarke of Wattle Flat.
• James Sicker Clarke of Port Adelaide 
• James Clark, mill owner, gold finder and publican? of Noarlunga.