VPRS 829 Return of Country Lands Sold and Leased, Sale of Crown Lands Act 1860

Full description

This series consists of returns sent from District Survey Offices each week notifying the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538) of the land sold and leased through that office in the previous week. Details given are the date, the number of the lot, the location (County and Parish) and extent of the land, the amount realised by selection, limited auction or by lease, the name and the address of the purchaser or lessee and the date of the sale or lease.

Further research is required into the significance of numbers placed on the front of returns. It is suspected that they may refer to the number given to a sale of or ballot for a parcel of land as indicated in the final bundle in this unit.

The Land Act 1860 allowed for the survey of country lands (as defined in Sections 13 and 14) in allotments of between 80 and 640 acres. These allotments were then subdivided into two, with selectors having the option of purchasing one half and leasing the other or purchasing both subdivisions. Applications were to be forwarded with a deposit of at least one pound per acre for purchase. Applications were to be decided upon on a specified day and at a specified time (Section 23) with provisions being made for competing and unsuccessful applications.

Actual applications may be found in VPRS 853 Applications to Select land, Sale of Crown Lands Act 1860.