Charles Mann, the first advocate general, firm on founding principles of South Australia
Charles Mann's support of William Light’s choice of the site for Adelaide also him an enemy of first governor John Hindmarsh.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
Charles Mann, South Australia’s first advocate-general and crown solicitor, was outspoken in defence of the democratic principles of the colony’s founding. This made him an enemy of the first governor John Hindmarsh, whom Mann believed was undermining those principles. Mann also opposed the second governor George Gawler also taking on the role of resident commissioner – also against the wishes of colony’s founders.
Mann was a solicitor in the King's Bench Division with a practice in Cannon Street, London, when he became associated with the South Australian colony project.
In 1835, he delivered a paper to a South Australian Literary and Scientific Association meeting, answering attacks by the Westminster Review on Edward Gibbon Wakefield’s The New British Province and other works on the colony.
At the request of first governor Captain John Hindmarsh and supported by Lord de Saumarez, Mann was appointed the South Australian advocate-general. He sailed in the Coromandel, arriving at Holdfast Bay in January 1837.
A Whig, Mann was a strong believer in the democratic spirit.
At the crucial meeting in February 1837, Mann supported William Light’s choice of the capital site. This made him an enemy of Hindmarsh, whose attitude to the democratic principles of the colony’s foundation drew more protests. Mann believed the colony’s success depended on every power given to the colonisation commissioners to ensure the colony land buyers’ security and government stability.
In disputes over the divided powers of governor Hindmarsh and resident commissioner James Hurtle Fisher, Mann advised Fisher that Hindmarsh was undermining the colony’s founding statutes. These views, spelt out in the council of government, led to Mann resigning from office on November 1837.
When governor Hindmarsh departed, Mann considered himself de jure acting governor, though he made no bid for office. In London, crown law officers decided Hindmarsh had acted unconstitutionally in suspending Mann.
Second governor George Gawler arrived in 1838 with orders to reinstate him but, dismayed by Mann’s outspokenness, declined his assistance.
In articles for the Southern Australian newspaper they’d helped to found, Mann and John Brown argued that Gawler's appointment as both governor and resident commissioner was contrary to colonising theory and intentions of the founders.
Mann built a large private legal practice. He became master of the South Australian supreme court in 1844 and acting judge in 1849. He became crown solicitor in 1850, police magistrate and insolvency commissioner in 1856, and commissioner of the court of insolvency and stipendiary magistrate in 1858.
Mann was active part in public life. He was one of the first trustees of Trinity Church, although he later attended the Independent Church of Thomas Stow and opposed state aid to religion. He was elected to Adelaide's first municipal council in 1840, gave popular lectures and supported claims for colonial self government.
Mann’s son Charles, educated at the Collegiate School of St Peter, was admitted to practise law in 1860 and had a distinguished parliamentary career. In the House of Assembly, he represented Burra 1870-75 and Stanley 1875-81. He served as attorney-general in five ministries and as treasurer in Morgan’s ministry. In 1875, he
