VPRS 1365 Register of Residence and Cultivation Licenses, Ballarat.

Full description

Regulations made under the Land Act 1860 allowed the issuing of licences for residence and cultivation of lands. The two main types of these were for the occupation of goldfields lands and for country lands (as defined by Section 14) not otherwise occupied. Sections 50 and 53 of the Land Act 1862 allowed the leasing and licensing of land to be used for a wide variety of rural pursuits which did not involve cultivation of the land, especially in auriferous areas, as did Regulations made under this Act.

Land known to be auriferous (gold-bearing) was not to be alienated (Section 9) other than under the Act or any other enactment. However, Regulations under the Act provided that residence and cultivation licences could be granted on the goldfields at a rental of ten pounds per annum for 2 acres. Further land, up to 20 acres could be rented for five shillings per acre per annum. These licences would only be issued if it was proved that there was no obstruction to the working of mining claims and miners were empowered to enter the land after the payment of compensation to the license holder for any improvements. At any time land could be alienated by auction or otherwise and the land could be surveyed through by the Government where it was deemed necessary for public convenience.

Application had to be made for these licenses with applications made simultaneously for the same allotment of land to be decided by lot. Applications were registered as received and if accepted, details of the license were registered in a Register of Licences.

The details given in this volume are the number of the license, the name of the licensee and a description of the land to be occupied (given as an area) and for what purpose. Purposes given include a sawmill, a rural store and brickmaking. other details are the date of the grant of the license and the period for which it was granted and details of the payments made. There are a small number of entries only.