the swan river colony was a british colony on the swan river in western australia, which wanted to build both the private investor thomas peel and the military james stirling on the continent of australia. the name was pars pro toto (a part for the whole) for western australia, because it was only in 1832 that the colony was officially renamed western australia, when james stirling was later named the first governor. nevertheless, the name swan river colony was still in use for many years.