VPRS 16751 Soldier Settlement and Land Settlement Estate Plans

Full description

This series contains lithographic copies of county, parish and township plans produced by the Department of Crown Lands and Survey which provide detailed information on each particular Soldier Settlement and Land Settlement estate. The Soldier Settlement Commission worked with the Department which undertook the original surveys for the estates. This is evident from the stamp on some plans prepared from SSC survey. There are also a few plans produced by the Rural Finance Commission.

Many of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey plans have been hand coloured and annotated with references to drainage easements and other infrastructure as well as information on the changing status of the land e.g. transfer arrangements for crown grants. Some plans are annotated with hand drawn plan sections which detail updated boundary lines and provide enlargements of specific features like reserves or roads.

The Estate Plans record the land parcel boundaries, either within an entire estate, or for larger settlements a portion of the estate. They also record the land settlement estates within the context of the county, parish and township boundaries. The plans record details about the individual settler's allotments, including their name, date of crown grant, land dimensions and the Settlement Purchase Lease Preparation File (VPRS 16540). They record topographical features, changes to boundaries, reserves and roads or where provision has been made to add additional infrastructure. The Estate Plans overlap in content with VPRS 16752 Soldier Settlement and Land Settlement Survey Plans.

The researcher needs to be aware that the plans have Department of Crown Lands and Survey allotment numbers (unless annotated), but the Soldier Settlement Commission created its own numbering system for the Lot numbers in the estates.

The six plans in box 25 are different to the rest of this series. These comprise either state of Victoria or regional district plans which document the Soldier Settlement estates from 1946 to 1961. These plans also chart the government's acquisition of land and the development of railways to the estates.

These plans are controlled by VPRS 16756 Soldier Settlement and Land Settlement Estate Cards. The Estate Cards are arranged by estate name, then by lot number and settler's name. The Estate Cards do not seem to cover all the allocated lots in each estate and may have been compiled after the settlement scheme had been established.

BACKGROUND TO SCHEME

In December 1943 the Land Settlement (Acquisition) Act was passed in Victoria, providing for the setting apart of Crown land and the acquisition of privately owned land for ex-servicemen. Victoria's Crown lands had been assessed for post-war settlement by Lands Department officers and staff from the CSIRO and Department of Agriculture as early as 1941. Throughout 1944-45 Lands Department inspectors formally checked the suitability of rural properties all over Victoria, and their valuations and reports were eventually handed across when the Soldier Settlement Commission (SSC) started work in February 1946.

The 1945 War Service Land Settlement (WSLS) Agreement (Commonwealth legislation) established the broad outlines for World War II settlement in Victoria. The Soldier Settlement Act 1945 (No. 5107) ratified the terms of this agreement, authorised the setting up of the Soldier Settlement Commission (SSC) and provided the framework for the State scheme. In December 1946 the Soldier Settlement Act 1946 (No. 5179) was passed, authorising the SSC to advance money for Single Unit Farms (SUFs). SUFs were not controlled by the terms of the WSLS Agreement but SUF settlers still had to go through the initial selection process to be classified as eligible and suitable.

In February 1946 the Commission began acquiring portions of land, referred to as 'estates', which were then subdivided into blocks of various sizes within each rural industry. The preliminary development of the blocks was handled by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (VA 723) in consultation with the SSC.

Potential settlers could submit applications for farms within five years of the scheme's inception and Classification Committees were set up to assess applicants' suitability. The selection process began with an interview and then classification into one of four grades:

- Suitable for farm ownership immediately,
- Suitable for farm ownership after a short specialised course,
- Suitable for farm employment but needing further experience for ownership,
- Unlikely to reach the standard for ownership.

Less tangible attributes such as aptitude, energy, physical capacity and mental alertness were also taken into consideration.

In 1947 the first settlement estates were advertised, with classified applicants required to put their names forward for blocks on particular estates. A second, more detailed, interview was then run by special SSC Land Boards. Applicants were graded using a 100 point system, broken down as follows:
- War service (20 points),
- Farming experience (30 points),
- Personal attributes (30 points),
- Evidence of thrift and financial responsibility (10 points),
- Marital status (10 points).

Other factors were also taken into account and personal references from several people in rural industries were requested. After ratings were given, a process of elimination was applied and an allocation plan drawn up. The three commissioners of the Soldier Settlement Commission assessed the proposed plan before making a final decision.

Leases were granted using a two-tier system, leading to freehold. An Interim Lease covered the establishment period of the farm and could be held for up to seven years. Settlers were only required to pay rent during this period. This was followed by a Purchase Lease that allowed the settler a period of at least six years to consolidate before becoming eligible to obtain freehold title to his farm. The issuing of Interim Leases was delayed due to disagreements between Commonwealth and State over valuations. By the middle of 1950 the Commonwealth agreed to fund living allowances for 752 Temporary Lease settlers. Once they were through an initial assistance period, the terms of the Temporary Lease allowed them to contribute part of their farm proceeds towards a credit account.

The last group settlement was on the 24-block Warrowie estate near Colac, which was advertised in the Government Gazette on 30 November 1960. It wasn't until 1970 that the last settler obtained his purchase lease.