Full description
This series comprises the field books known by the Department of the Crown Lands and Survey as the Black Sequence from at least the mid 19th century - (probably from 1871 when the Red Sequence commenced) see Recordkeeping system for further information.This series includes the field books of the earliest surveyors in the Port Phillip district including Robert Hoddle, Robert Russell, William Wedge Darke, Henry Williamson Hutchinson Smythe, Thomas Henry Nutt, and Charles James Tyers.
Surveyors in the field used small standard books to record both survey data and notes as surveys were carried out. They often contain notes about topography and environment, bearings and distances, astronomical and sun observations for charting coordinates, boundary marks and other non cadastral detail which is not necessarily incorporated into the parish and township original plans and record plans held in VPRS 16306.
The field books reflect the process of surveying in Victoria and the government's change in emphasis: from the Colony of New South Wales' efforts to control unlicensed occupation of land by the squatters on pastoral runs; the early cadastral surveys mapping Victoria; to the Department's response to public demand for Crown land released under sections of the various Land Acts.
This series, along with VPRS 16686 and VPRS 16687 contain field books that collectively span the period 1837-1927, although the majority of these span the period 1837-1879.
The field books contain the survey work from which plans, known as the ‘original plans’, were forwarded to the Original Plan Room in Melbourne. The original plans in turn formed the basis of parish and township record plans produced since the late 1860’s/early 1870’s to define the status of land and to support the orderly alienation and management of Crown Land. Field books were also used by surveyors to create plans known as ‘abstracts of field notes’ (or ‘survey field notes’ or simply ‘field notes’) which were used to make changes to record plans.
All original plans/field notes until 1942 and every hard copy parish and township record plan created until the introduction of electronic records in 2001 are held in VPRS 16306. Field notes created after 1942 are still in the custody of Land Use Victoria as at April 2024.
Early instructions to Robert Hoddle from the Surveyor-General of the Colony of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Mitchell advised that the field book of each surveyor and assistant surveyor was to be considered a journal, in which he was required to specify, besides the survey data, any other work carried out and a general description of the environment. Hence details of general conditions in the field, hours worked and supplies carried are also recorded in the field books as well as the survey data. Instructions also made clear that the Field Books were public property and each surveyor and assistant surveyor was accountable for delivering the Field Books back to the Department. It is unclear for how long these instructions remained in force. For the most part, regulations issued under Lands Acts from at least 1870 to 1930, the Survey Coordination Act 1940, Surveyor (Cadastral Survey) Regulations from 1985 and the Survey Handbook Victoria all appear to have placed the onus on surveyors (or the agencies that employed them) to retain these books and only produce them for inspection by the Surveyor General if required.
Detailed instructions for current and historical survey practices are available in the Survey Practice Handbook Victoria, The Surveyors Board, Victoria 1994, ISBN 07306 50154. As at 2011 the Survey Practice Handbook was available on the Land Victoria website and from the Surveyors Registration Board.
The field surveyors marked out land in to allotments ready for sale; laid out roads and lines of telegraph; marked out sites to be reserved for public purposes such as schools, churches and cemeteries; laid out carriage and footways in municipal districts; oocasionally determined the boundaries of electoral districts and took levels fo sections and contour lines for other departments.
Field Books may include the following information;
Purpose of the survey
Dates
Location names - portion or allotment and section number; parish and county; municipality or shire; township
A diagram to illustrate the survey to assist the preparation of a plan
Details about the physical character, geological formation, soil types, variety and density of timber, grazing and agricultural potential
Water supply - rivers, creeks, lakes, shorelines, watercourses
Details of ownership - license, lease, or freeholders
Position of improvements - buildings, houses, fences, roads, streets, lanes
Datum line of the survey and the azimuth adopted, bearings in degrees, minutes and seconds of arc, angles
Weather conditions
Lengths as measured, corrections for slope and temperature
Position of permanent marks
Sketches of surrounds
Astronomical observations
ORIGINAL PLANS AND FIELD NOTES
Cadastral information recorded in the field books was used to produce plans sent to the Original Plan Room in Melbourne known as original plans. From the late 1860’s/early 1870’s, these original plans were used to create the Record Plans held in VPRS 16306. Original plans are referenced on the record plans and were stored with them in VPRS 16306 with alpha numeric or annual single number references from c.1860 until 1942, and then in a single number sequence from 1942. (Original plans ceased to be stored in VPRS 16306 during 1942.) The practice of producing field notes/original plans is still used today where surveyors record their field measurements in a field book or on field cards and the information is subsequently compiled as an "Abstract of Field Records" that becomes the registered survey document. These records since 1942 are held in a sequence of files known as the survey field notes file at Land Use Victoria as at April 2024.
Researchers note: Surveyors field books of the Port Phillip District are also held at the State Library of New South Wales, Mitchell Library. These are likely to be the field books of contract (i.e private) surveyors.
Data time period:
[1837 TO 1927]
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