VPRS 14132 Application and File Management Cards, Melbourne Land District (Occupation Branch)

Application and file management cards replaced Registers of Applications created by the Occupation Branch in Melbourne in content and partly in function. Details given are the application number either as a single number or as the fraction where the denominator indicates the Section of the Act (the Land Acts of 1901, 1911, 1915 and 1928 were the main Acts) and the numerator is the file number, the name and address of the applicant, the area and location of the land (section, allotment, parish) and relevant dates. Other details are notations regarding file movements and management and the receipt and sending of correspondence. If a change was made in the Section of a Land Act under which a lease or a license to occupy had been issued, the new file number might be recorded on this card.From about 1901 there was a steady decline in new applications being made under the Land Acts. In mid -1907 a circular was sent to District Land Officers notifying them that from that time onwards, all applications regardless of Act and Section of the Act, were to be recorded in a single register kept at the District Land Office and allocated an annual single number. Once applications had been ruled upon by the Local Land Board, details of those which had been successful were to be entered in the register to be kept at the District Land Office for specific Sections of an Act and allocated a running number which became the file number.Successful applications had this card and a rent payment card made up at theOccupation Branch of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538). Details of active files which were initially registered in the volume registers of applications were gradually transferred onto the cards with an annotation being made on the registers either by the word 'Card' or a tick beside the entry. Unsuccessful applications, after 1907, did not have a card made up. These were listed at the Department and papers were filed there in case of appeal against the decision of the Local Land Board.The system of District Land Offices parallelled by similar 'District Offices' in the Occupation Branch continued, with a smaller number of physically separate offices outside Melbourne. Within the Occupation Branch itself, officers dealt with the business of a number of District Offices with the number of Divisions within the Branch fluctuating in number relative to the amount of business to be transacted, this in turn being affected by legislative enactments.Cards in this series relate primarily to agricultural and grazing licenses and leases and selection purchase leases under the 1911 Land Act. Others relate to Sections 121, 129 and 86 Land Act 1915 and Section 29, Land Act 1898 (subsequently Section 35, Land Act 1901). This series also contains cards relating to Village Settlement and Homestead Associations (Settlement on Lands Act 1893) and the Closer Settlement provisions of the Land Act 1898 and the consolidated Land Act 1901.Section 44 (Licensing) Section 46 (Lease and Grant) of the Land Act 1898 divided lands into three classes for the purpose of the licensing or leasing of agricultural allotments. No more than 200 acres of first-class lands were to be licensed at the rent of one shilling per acre per annum; no more than three hundred and twenty acres of second-class land at the annual rental of ninepence per acre. Both types of land were to be licensed for no more than six years.In the 1898 Act, Sections 58 and 59 provided for the extension of the licensing and leasing provisions for agricultural allotments to grazing allotments. Sections 59 and 61 of the Land Act 1898 allowed for the issue of residential or non-residential licenses for grazing allotments on third class land. A license to occupy could initially be issued for up to six years for 640 acres. If conditions relating to the provision of fencing and the destruction of vermin were met, a lease for 14 years could be obtained at a cost of sixpence per acre. Rent payments could be used to defray the cost of purchase at ten shillings per acre.Under the consolidated Land Act of 1901, agricultural allotments were dealt with under Sections 47 (licensing) and 49 (leasing) and grazing allotments by Sections 54 (licensing) and 56 (leasing).Section 6 of the Land Act 1911 brought these provisions to an end. As an alternative, the option of taking out a selection purchase lease was offered with a period of twenty years being offered to fulfil the payment conditions for either a residential selection purchase lease (Section 8) or a non-residential selection purchase lease (Section 13). Conditions and covenants of these leases were laid down in Section 11.Section 65 of the Land Act 1884 (subsequently Section 103, Land Act 1901 and Section 86, Land Act 1915) provided for the annual licensing of the occupation of auriferous (gold bearing) lands. Areas licensed were to be of no more than 20 acres with only one license being allowed for each individual. There was to be no sale of these lands. This section was amended by Section 90 of the Land Act 1898 providing for the appraisal of these lands. If the value of the land was appraised to be more than the rent already paid on them, the subsequent rental was to be no more than two shillings and sixpence per annum with no annual license fee.Sections 93 and 91 of the Land Act 1884 (later Section 99, Land Act 1890, Section 145 of the Land Act 1901 and subsequently Section 129, Land Act 1915) provided for the licensing or leasing of Crown lands for a multitude of purposes such as rural businesses, the removal of raw materials and other purposes none of which were to be agricultural or grazing. Licenses were renewable annually at a fee to be set. Leases under the 1884 Act for these purposes were to be of no more than three acres at an annual rental of five pounds.Section 119, Land Act 1884 provided for the issuing of grazing licenses for Crown lands not otherwise held. This provision continued as Section 123, Land Act 1890, Section 187 of the Land Act 1901 and subsequently Section 121, Land Act 1915.Section 29 of the Land Act 1898 (later Section 35 under the consolidated Land Act 1901) succeeded Section 32, Land Act 1884 as the means whereby grazing areas could be leased from the Crown. Land was able to be leased for any term until 29 December 1920 when the land would revert to the Crown. Land was divided into classes for the purpose of the lease. Two hundred acres of first-class land might be leased, 640 acres of second-class land, 1280 acres of third-class land and 1920 acres of fourth-class land. A permanent agricultural allotment could be selected from leaseholds of first and second-class land and a grazing allotment from third and fourth-class land.Researchers should note that further research is required into the actual end date of this card recordkeeping system. Some evidence suggests that the card system continued into the 1970s, although some series may have ended previously. For some series of cards it is possible that these were the cards for files for which active life had ceased. It may also have been that all cards are included as details of all files were transferred to a subsequent system.

申请与文件管理卡在内容上取代了墨尔本占用处（Occupation Branch）创建的申请登记簿，且在功能上部分替代了后者。卡上记录的详情包括申请编号（可为单一数字，或分数形式——分母代表法案条款，1901、1911、1915及1928年土地法案为主要法案；分子为文件编号）、申请人姓名及地址、土地面积与位置（地块、分地、教区），以及相关日期。其他详情包括文件流转与管理的备注，以及往来函件的收发记录。若签发租赁或占用许可所依据的土地法案条款发生变更，新文件编号可能会记录在该卡上。

约1901年起，依据土地法案提交的新申请数量稳步下降。1907年年中，一份通函发至各地区土地官员，通知其自彼时起，所有申请无论依据何种法案及条款，均需记录在地区土地办公室保存的单一登记簿中，并分配年度唯一编号。一旦地方土地委员会（Local Land Board）对申请作出裁决，获批申请的详情需录入地区土地办公室为法案特定条款保存的登记簿中，并分配连续编号（该编号将成为文件编号）。

获批申请会在皇家土地与测量部（VA538）的占用处制作该卡及租金支付卡。最初登记在申请卷册登记簿中的有效文件详情，会逐步转移至这些卡片上，同时在登记簿对应条目旁标注‘Card’字样或打勾。1907年后，未获批的申请不再制作卡片，而是在部门内列出清单并归档相关文件，以备对地方土地委员会的裁决提出上诉。

地区土地办公室系统与占用处内类似的‘地区办公室’并行运作的模式得以延续，墨尔本以外设有数量较少的实体独立办公室。在占用处内部，官员负责处理多个地区办公室的业务，处内部门数量会根据待处理业务量波动，而业务量又受立法法案影响。

本系列卡片主要涉及1911年土地法案下的农业及放牧许可、租赁，以及选择购买租赁。其他卡片涉及1915年土地法案第121、129及86条，以及1898年土地法案第29条（后为1901年土地法案第35条）。本系列还包含与村庄定居点及家园协会（1893年土地定居法案）、1898年土地法案及1901年综合土地法案中的近距离定居条款相关的卡片。

1898年土地法案第44条（许可）及第46条（租赁与授予）将土地划分为三类，以用于农业分地的许可或租赁。一类土地许可面积不超过200英亩，年租金为每英亩1先令；二类土地不超过320英亩，年租金为每英亩9便士。两类土地的许可期限均不超过6年。

1898年法案第58及59条规定，将农业分地的许可与租赁条款扩展至放牧分地。1898年土地法案第59及61条允许为三类土地上的放牧分地签发居住或非居住许可。占用许可初始期限最长为6年，面积640英亩。若满足围栏设置及消灭害兽的条件，可获得14年租赁权，费用为每英亩6便士。租金支付可用于抵扣每英亩10先令的购买成本。

根据1901年综合土地法案，农业分地由第47条（许可）及第49条（租赁）规范，放牧分地由第54条（许可）及第56条（租赁）规范。

1911年土地法案第6条终止了这些条款。作为替代方案，法案提供了选择购买租赁的选项，居住类选择购买租赁（第8条）及非居住类选择购买租赁（第13条）的付款条件履行期限为20年。这些租赁的条件与契约由第11条规定。

1884年土地法案第65条（后为1901年土地法案第103条及1915年土地法案第86条）规定了含金土地（auriferous lands）占用的年度许可制度。许可面积不超过20英亩，每人仅允许持有一份许可。此类土地不得出售。1898年土地法案第90条修订了该条款，规定对这些土地进行评估。若评估价值高于已支付租金，则后续租金每年不超过2先令6便士，且无年度许可费。

1884年土地法案第93及91条（后为1901年土地法案第99条、1901年土地法案第145条，最终为1915年土地法案第129条）规定，皇家土地可许可或租赁用于多种用途，如农村商业、原材料开采等，但不得用于农业或放牧。许可每年可续期，费用另行设定。1884年法案下此类用途的租赁面积不超过3英亩，年租金为5英镑。

1884年土地法案第119条规定，为未被其他方式占用的皇家土地签发放牧许可。该条款延续为1890年土地法案第123条、1901年土地法案第187条，最终为1915年土地法案第121条。

1898年土地法案第29条（后为1901年综合土地法案第35条）取代1884年土地法案第32条，成为从皇家租赁放牧区域的依据。土地可租赁至1920年12月29日（届时土地将归还皇家）前的任意期限。为租赁目的，土地被划分为不同类别：一类土地可租赁200英亩，二类640英亩，三类1280英亩，四类1920英亩。可从一类及二类土地租赁权中选择永久农业分地，从三类及四类土地中选择放牧分地。

研究人员需注意，该卡片记录系统的实际终止日期仍需进一步研究。部分证据显示，卡片系统持续至20世纪70年代，尽管部分系列可能更早终止。对于某些卡片系列而言，它们可能对应已终止活跃状态的文件；也可能所有卡片均被纳入，因所有文件详情已转移至后续系统。