VPRS 621 Register of Inward Correspondence, Occupation Branch

This series consists of registers of inward correspondence maintained by the Occupation Branch of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538) prior to the introduction of a new recordkeeping system for correspondence management for the whole Department in 1876 (see VPRS 166 Alphabetical Registers of Inwards Correspondence).It would appear that all correspondence relating to the occupation of Crown lands was forwarded to the Occupation Branch Registry. Here it was registered either in a general register or in registers for a specific Land District. The register in this series is a general one, that is one registering correspondence which did not relate to a specific Land District or for which a specific Land District register had not been created. (For a Land District specific register see VPRS 14273 or VPRS 14274)Whether in a general or in a Land District register, details recorded were the number of the letter, the dates of the letter and of entry in the register, the name and address of the sender, a summary of the subject of the correspondence and how the matter was dealt with. A reference was given to the number of any other piece of correspondence or file to which the correspondence was attached.Matters dealt with in the correspondence were those relating to the making of applications for land, the process of dealing with a selection and ensuring that conditions were carried out, the performance of surveys and matters pertaining to hearings of Local Land Boards.

本系列档案为1876年全部门引入全新信函管理记录系统前，由王室土地与测量部（Department of Crown Lands and Survey）领地占用科（Occupation Branch）留存的收件信函登记册（档案编号VA 538）（详见VPRS 166《收件信函字母顺序登记册》）。

据推断，所有涉及王室领地占用的信函均会被移交至领地占用科登记处。在此处，信函要么被登记至总登记册，要么被登记至对应特定土地辖区的专用登记册。本系列中的登记册为总登记册，即用于登记未涉及特定土地辖区，或尚未建立对应专用土地辖区登记册的信函（如需查看特定土地辖区专用登记册，请参阅VPRS 14273与VPRS 14274）。

无论登记至总登记册还是特定土地辖区登记册，所记录的详情均包括：信函编号、信函日期与登记入册日期、寄件人姓名与地址、信函主题摘要，以及事项处理情况。同时会标注该信函所附的其他信函或档案的编号。

本系列信函所涉处理事项包括：土地申请办理、土地择地申请流程及履约监督、测量作业执行，以及与地方土地委员会听证相关的各类事务。