VPRS 14147 Pre-Emptive Right Descriptions

Full description

Under the principle of pre-emptive right, licensees of runs were permitted to purchase a portion of their runs to provide some security of tenure at the minimum upset price of 1 pound per acre. In this way a homestead or land upon which improvements had been made could be secured. The actual criteria applied in deciding whether purchase could be made was the presence of improvements on the desired acreage. Pre-emptive rights were established under the 1847 Order-in-Council and were taken advantage of by squatters who had already settled upon large tracts of the land of the Port Phillip District.

This series consists of sheets pasted into volumes describing land acquired under pre-emptive right. The name of the purchaser is given as is the county in which the land was located. This is followed by a detailed survey description of the land acquired.

The series date range is given as the date range of the contents. It is however, believed that a number of these descriptions were assembled and pasted into these volumes at a date later than 1852.

Further details regarding land acquired under pre-emptive right may be found in VPRS 13016 Applications Register for the Purchase of Land Under Pre-Emptive Right and VPRS 122 Outwards Letter Books.