18 Facts About Light's Vision

Light's Vision was the first Surveyor-General of the new British Province of South Australia, known for choosing the site of the colony's capital, Adelaide, and for designing the layout of its streets, six city squares, gardens and the figure-eight Adelaide Park Lands, in a plan later sometimes referred to as Light's Vision.

Light's Vision was the eldest son of Captain Francis Light, founder of Penang, and Martina Rozells.

Light's Vision was thus legally classed as Eurasian, an ethnic designation which granted the designated a middle position between the natives and the Europeans.

Light's Vision lived in Penang until the age of six, when he was sent to Theberton, a village in Suffolk, England to be educated by friends of his father.

Light's Vision became attached to the Doughtys, and later named his house in Adelaide after the family home.

Related searches

Light's Vision was well educated, and soon became proficient in French, as well as showing a talent for drawing, watercolour painting and music.

Light's Vision became known in London as rich East Indian, and attended the court of King George IV when still Prince of Wales.

Light's Vision bought a cornetcy in the 4th Dragoons regiment of the British Army on 5 May 1808, being promoted to lieutenant in April 1809 en route to Spain to serve in the Peninsular War, where he learnt Spanish.

Light's Vision showed both outstanding bravery and kindness in his actions, and was a favourite of Wellingon.

Light's Vision went on to serve in the infantry in various parts of Britain – the Channel Islands, Scotland and Ireland – as a captain, after purchasing the rank in November 1814.

Light's Vision captained the paddle steamer the Nile from London to Alexandria to join the Egyptian Navy, reaching Alexandria in September 1834.

Oldest known version of Light's Vision plan was drawn by a 16-year-old draughtsman in 1837, to instructions from Light, some time after the streets were named on 23 May of that year.

Light's Vision had just begun work on preparing his journals, kept for 30 years, for publication, having left cases of papers for safety in the survey office, and apart from an excerpt already prepared, the journals were lost – a great blow to Light.

Light's Vision often sold his works to support himself, but many were lost when fire destroyed the Land and Survey Office and his adjacent hut in January 1839.

Plan of the city of Adelaide stands as a lasting legacy to Light's Vision genius, praised both in the early days and more recent literature.

Light's Vision achievements have been commemorated in a number of ways, including:.

Light's Vision said that "months of painstaking art history and genealogical research" into its provenance had led to a man called Shimmin, who had worked for Light's colleague William Jacob in the Barossa Valley and in whose family it had remained for generations.

Light's Vision sees Light as an unfulfilled individual, despite all of his success; his life was " lonely and drifting".