This essay first appeared as ‘The thematic and chronological history’ section of the report Heritage of the South East prepared by Danvers Architects for the Department of Environment and Planning and published in 1984. This was a report on the heritage survey of the South East of South Australia, a regional survey carried out as designated in the State Historic Preservation Plan. The study team comprised Ron Danvers, Robert Linn, Hamish Angas, Robert Martin and Michael Brock. The essay appears here by kind permission of the department with minor variations