VPRS 13943 Register of Applications, Farm Allotments Conditional Purchase Leases, Sections 103 and 170 Land Act 1898 and Sections 130 and 383 Land Act 1901

Full description

Part III of the Land Act 1898 was, apart from the Settlement on Land Act 1893, the first legislation for Closer Settlement. It gave the Board of Land and Works the power to acquire land from private persons for the purpose of closer settlement. The land was to be utilised and disposed of firstly as a township in the district and then as farm allotments not exceeding one thousand pounds in value.

These allotments were to be advertised as being available in the Government Gazette to be taken up under conditional purchase lease with one lease being allowed per person. During the first six years of the lease considerable improvements were to be made to the land. Their value was determined by the value of the land or at the rate of ten per cent of the purchase money payable. The lessee or a member of his family was to reside on the land for eight months of each year with no power to transfer or mortgage the land within the first six years. After that six years, the lease might be transferred or an application made for a Crown grant of the land.

Applications were registered in this series with the number allocated in the register becoming the file number. Details appearing are the name of the applicant and their current address, the location and extent of the land, an acknowledgment of the payment of the first two instalments of the purchase money and whether the application was successful or not.

The lease was issued for a term of 31 years with the purchase price to be paid in 63 equal instalments, the first two due with the application. If an application was unsuccessful, that money was returned to the applicant. The total amount of the purchase money was determined by the Board of Land and Works with interest to also be paid on unpaid purchase money. Rent Rolls documenting the payment of the instalments are held by PROV as VPRS 13948.

Applicants were able to apply for these conditional purchase leases under Section 170 of the Act or under Section 103. This latter Section related to swamp lands such as the Koo-Wee-Rup and Moe Swamps where allotments could be applied for, once a valuation had been determined, under the terms of Section 85 Land Act 1890 or as a perpetual lease or as a conditional purchase lease as set out in Part III but with modifications. These Sections continued as Sections 130 - 131 and Section 383 of the Land Act 1901.

Under the authority of Part III Land Act 1898 estates were purchased and made available for farm allotments at Wando Vale (near Casterton), Walmer (near Horsham), Whitfield (south of Wangaratta) and Eurack (NE of Winchelsea).

Unit 1 was previously registered as Unit 207 of VPRS 458 / P Applications Registers, Land Act Unknown
Unit 2 was previously registered as Unit 1 of VPRS 145 / P Application Register, Land Act 1880
Unit 3 was previously registered as Unit 15 of VPRS 455 / P Applications Registers, Land Act 1898
Unit 4 was previously registered as Unit 210 of VPRS 458 / P Applications Registers, Land Act Unknown
Unit 5 was previously registered as Unit 3 of VPRS 13577 / P1
Unit 6 was previously registered as Unit 48 of VPRS 458 / P Applications Registers, Land Act Unknown and Unit 7 was previously registered as Unit 8 of VPRS 10078 / P.