The border between the Australian states of South Australia and Victoria was established in 1836 by imperial letters patent "as the 141st degree meridian of longitude east of Greenwich". In 1836 the land in what is now called Victoria was part of the colony of New South Wales, the original Victorian border was drawn between the colonies of South Australia and New South Wales. An error came about in establishing the position of the 141st meridian, and more than 75 years and a protracted legal dispute passed before the precise placement of the border was settled, resulting in the forfeiture of more than of territory from South Australia to Victoria.
Tyers survey
In 1839 Charles Tyers was transferred from the Royal Navy to the Colonial Service and instructed by Sir George Gipps, the Governor of New South Wales, to ascertain the precise longitude at the mouth of the Glenelg River so that a distance to the 141st meridian (the eastern border of South Australia) could be measured.
Several months later, Tyers completed a survey from Melbourne to the Glenelg River and on an expanse of sandy beach he formed a broad arrow with limestone rocks. This became known as Tyers' Mark and was used to determine the starting point for the border survey. Due primarily to inadequate equipment, this was later determined to be 2 miles and 4 chains (3.3 km) in error.
Following the proclamation of government in the province of South Australia in 1836, the region between the coast and the Murray River was rapidly being settled by Europeans through squatters selecting large runs for sheep grazing. With no clear border, legal oversight was impossible; an accurate position needed to be defined. The earliest relevant reference to the boundary of South Australia was in a despatch dated 30 September 1844 from the South Australian governor, George Grey to the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, Lord Stanley. Grey stated that it would be extremely difficult to determine with accuracy a number of points on the Earth's surface through which the 141st degree of east longitude passes, and pointed out that in addition to that difficulty there would be attendant expense.
Wade–White surveys
For several years following Tyers' survey no action was taken to extend his work but by 1845 the need to have the boundary line defined on the ground had become urgent, particularly to the east of Mount Gambier. South Australian pastoralists had worked their way east from the coast and there were disputes when they met pastoralists from the Wimmera country pushing their way westwards with flocks of sheep.
There was uncertainty as to which Government should grant pastoral licenses to the squatters and which had legal control. In November 1846 the Colonial Secretary's Office directed surveyor Henry Wade to proceed from Sydney to the disputed territory to define a "Boundary for Police Purposes".
By March 1847 Wade had got his party of seven and equipment at the mouth of the Glenelg River. He was joined by assistant surveyor Edward White who had been appointed by the South Australian government to act as an observer on its behalf.
After much deprivation and hardship due to drought and reluctance by his men to continue with poor work conditions, Wade was still 155 miles (250 km) from the Murray River after nine months of swamp, sand dunes and broken equipment. The expedition collapsed at the 36th parallel of latitude. On 16 December 1847 the South Australian Government published a proclamation that the "line as marked on the ground" by Wade should be "deemed and construed" to be the eastern boundary of South Australia. In March, 1849 New South Wales issued a proclamation in similar terms. Wade died in 1854.
As the survey was only partially completed the two colonies were in agreement that surveyor White should complete Wade's line to the Murray River as soon as possible. This was doubly urgent as the colony of Victoria was to be proclaimed within twelve months further complicating legal and later political matters.