AGY-3847 | Closer Settlement Branch [I] [Department of Lands]

Full description

The passage of the Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act 1907 (Act No 12 1907) necessitated the establishment of a specialist branch to deal with the land transfers and division. The closer settlement branch of the Department of Lands was established in 1908 with the appointment of an Acting Officer-in-charge on 22 February and a draftsman and clerk on 2 June. (1)

The Act made possible the government acquisition (by purchase or resumption) of land within 15 miles of a proposed railway line for division into small allotments for farming purposes. Following the decision to acquire the land it was subdivided according to plans approved by the Minister, and a proclamation to advise the acquisition was placed in the NSW Government Gazette. The Act allowed for the acquisition of partial estates and for negotiation concerning lands currently under lease. Later land acquisition was extended to that surrounding other public works including irrigation and water supply projects.

The branch worked in collaboration with Closer Settlement Advisory Boards that were comprised of specialists in land use value and use and, prior to the decision to acquire the land, reported to the Minister on its suitability for closer settlement, the potential stocking and yield of the land, and recommendation of improvements. (2)
In addition to preparing for the proclamation in the Gazette, receiving application for he allotments, managing the transfer of lands under the Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act 1907, handling forfeitures and receiving reports regarding the progress and improvement of the lands, the branch also took responsibility for the management of existing closer settlement projects which the government had commenced since it first entered the arena of closer settlement in 1901. In its first annual report of 30 June 1908 the branch had already proclaimed 11 estates with a total area of 354,000 acres for closer settlement (3)

The Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act 1909 (Act no 21, 1909) allowed for the Minister and the owner of land proclaimed for subdivision to reach agreement regarding its subdivisions therefore suspending the power of resumption of land (4)

The Closer Settlement Promotion Act, 1910 (Act No 17, 1910) authorised the three or more purchasers wishing to acquire closer settlement blocks from the same owner to enter agreements and with the owner and apply to the Minister to bring the land into the operation of the Closer Settlement Act. (5) Thus closer settlement was expanded from a scheme using only former Crown lands to one that embraced land which had been in private hands. Land made available under this Act substantially increased the quantity of land taken up as closer settlement over the next few years.

The Closer Settlement (amendment) (No 2) Act, 1912 (Act No 74, 1912) allowed for improvement leases, scrub leases and leases under section 18 of the Crown Lands Act, 1903 to be resumed and made available for closer settlement provided that the whole or part of the land was within 15 miles of an existing or sanctioned railway line. (6)

From 1916 estates were being purchased with view to the particular needs of settling returned servicemen and training them in agricultural work (7) Lands were therefore purchased outside the usual criteria for closer settlement. The applicants were selected by a Returned Soldiers Classification Committee; the land was allocated by the local land board or Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission, and the Returned Soldiers Branch co-ordinated these activities and provided a range of services to the returned men.

The Closer Settlement Branch also purchased estates for settlement under the Imperial Migration Agreement 1923. In 1926 the Ben Lomond Estate in the Glen Innes area was purchased especially for migrant settlement. At 30 June 1926 a total of ten migrants had settled under closer settlement occupancy (8)
The Closer Settlement Fund Act, 1928 (Act No 38, 1928) established an account for the deposit and withdrawal of all funds associated with closer settlement properties. This replaced the Public Works Fund which had been maintained for closer settlement transactions.

Recognising the difficult financial times of the ‘Great Depression’, in 1933 the Government granted relief to many settlers by postponing payments including money already in arrears and waving further interest. This general concession applied to all settlers who had demonstrated a genuine effort to succeed. Special relief was also made available those affected by particular disaster such as fire and flood. (9)

The work of the Returned Soldiers Settlement branch diminished with many of the former servicemen leaving the scheme , and the acquisition of new estates for this purpose virtually ceased. It would seem that the Closer Settlement and Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branches amalgamated possibly about 11 June 1936 under Frank Neri Boddington, Office-in-charge. (10)

Endnotes:
(1) Public Service List, 1908 p. 96
(2) Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act 1907 s. 3
(3) Department of Lands. Annual report for the year ended 30 June 1908 p. 2 in NSW Parliamentary Papers Second Session 1908 Vol 1 p. 108
(4) Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act 1909 s. 4
(5) Closer Settlement Promotion Act, 1910 s. 3
(6) The Closer Settlement (amendment) (No 2) Act, 1912 s. 3
(7) Department of Lands, Report for the year ended 30 June 1917 p. 3 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1917- 1918 vol. 2 p. 73
(8) Department of Lands, Report for the year ended 30 June 1926 p. 7 in NSW Parliamentary Papers second session 1926 vol. 1 p. 149
(9) Department of Lands, Report for the year ended 30 June 1934 p. 3 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1934-1935 p. 71
(10) Public Service List 1936 p. 72

Reference
Harvey, Brian "Land for the People: a history of Land Settlement in New South Wales." Prepared for the Department of Lands. n.d. (1959?)