South Australia Act 1842

The South Australia Act 1842 is the short title of an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom with the long title

Passed on 30 July 1842, it repealed the South Australia Act 1834, as well as amendments made to that Act, and instituted a different form of Government over the Province of South Australia.

The Act was introduced as a result of recommendations by a British Parliamentary Enquiry into the failure of the colonial administration which had brought the province of South Australia near bankruptcy in 1840.

The Act provided for a Governor and at least seven other officers to be appointed to form a Legislative Council for the governance of South Australia. The Act also made provision for a commission to initiate the establishment of democratic government, electoral districts, requirements for voting rights, and terms of office.

The Act also provided for the annual repayment of debts to those who had invested in the South Australia Colonial Revenue Securities at a rate of three pounds ten shillings per one hundred pounds of principal invested. In addition provision was made for interest to be paid on the principal owing. The Act also provided for funding of these payments out of the general funds of the British government as a repayable loan to the South Australian government, if payments could not be met.

The Act also cleared the South Australian government of an earlier one hundred and fifty-five thousand pound loan from the general funds of the British government.