Blakiston and another at Gawler. Short travelled through the settled parts of South Australia, and before the end of 1848 went to Western Australia, then a part of his diocese, where he consecrated that state's first church, St John's Anglican Church, Albany. He returned to Adelaide early in 1849, and on 24 May 1849 laid the first stone of St Peter's College, Adelaide, founded in 1847 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and William Allen, a wealthy philanthropist. He was the first president of its council of governors. He consecrated Christ Church, North Adelaide in December 1849. Funding In August 1851 the withdrawal of state aid to religion compelled the Church of England in South Australia to devise a voluntary system of maintaining itself. Short, who had prepared a draft constitution for the diocese, visited England in 1853, sailing from Port Adelaide aboard the Shackamaxon with his wife and children. There he obtained counsels' opinion, which agreed that it was competent for a colonial diocese to organise itself without Imperial authority. The constitution was submitted in October 1855 to a diocesan assembly and was adopted. In 1856 the diocese of Perth, Western Australia was founded and Short was relieved of the oversight of the whole of Western Australia, a difficult task especially in view of the limited means of communication. The Adelaide diocese had been presented with some land in the city by W. Leigh, the income from which became very useful for general diocesan purposes, and by the liberality of William Allen the pastoral aid fund was instituted. Other funds for the endowment of the diocese and for providing retiring allowances for the clergy were also successfully initiated. Charitable works In 1856 he instigated, with the support of Adelaide churches of all denominations, the South Australian Female Refuge for practical support and protection of homeless girls and women, and was its first vice-president. The facility, previously known as "Norwood House", at the corner of Sydenham Road and William Street, Norwood, opened in 1857, and in later years was known more simply as the South Australian Refuge. Adelaide cathedral Soon after Short's acceptance of the see, he made enquiries about a site for a cathedral and was informed that the centre of Victoria Square had been allotted for this purpose by Governor Frederick Robe. This was objected to by the city council and Short decided to have the question