VPRS 13286 Register of Licensees and Lessees, Melbourne, Sections 31 and 49 Land Act 1869

Full description

Section 49 of the Land Act 1869 allowed the granting of a license for the occupation of auriferous (gold-bearing) land for a period of one year at a time. The amount of land was to be no more than 20 acres with an individual being permitted to hold one licence only. The fees were to be set by regulation.

The Land Act of 1869, Section 31 gave a pre-emptive right of purchase to holders of occupation licenses under Section 42 of the Amending Land Act 1865 (regulating the occupation of auriferous lands). Various conditions had to be met for this right to be exercised. The licensee had to have occupied the land for at least two and a half years, have made improvements to the land and no objection to the alienation of the land was made on the grounds that it was auriferous or other grounds of a public nature. License fees already paid were to be credited against the purchase price with the Board of Land and Works to grant the licensee a certificate specifying the amount of land and survey fees paid by him during the period of occupation. The licensee also had the option of taking a lease on the land under the same conditions or paying the purchase price in ten equal instalments.

Records of rent payments were kept in Registers of Licensees and Lessees which gave the date of the license or lease, the name of the licensee or lessee, the location (parish, section and allotment) and the extent of the land. Financial details included were the details of rent instalments paid. In the column for remarks are notations regarding such matters as forfeiture, revocation and transfers of licenses or leases and any relevant references to correspondence, later purchase of the land or entries in the Government Gazette. For Registers maintained by local officers or Receivers of Revenue there may be a signature by the licensee for the receipt of the license.

VPRS 13286/P1, unit 1 was previously serialised unit 2 of VPRS 1311/P Register of Lessees, Land Act 1869 Section 49.