NRS-20776 | Registers of applications for conditional leases [Maitland Land Board Office]

These registers contain a summary record of conditional leases applied for in land districts controlled by the Maitland Land Board .The Crown Land Act of 1884 (48 Vic. No.18) made provision for the lease of land adjoining existing conditional purchases. These leases were not to exceed three times the area of the conditional purchase. The selector also gained the right to purchase the area of the conditional lease within five years. An application for a conditional lease was submitted to the crown land agent, together with a deposit. Upon receipt of an application, the agent would forward the information to the local land board, where the details of the application would be entered into this register. The entry would be given the same register number as that assigned by the agent. Upon approval, details of the lease were published in the NSW Government Gazette and a new administration number – a conditional lease (CL) number - assigned. This number was added to the register of applications and used in all subsequent transactions.These volumes record information such as number of applicant; date of application and hour lodged; name and address of applicant; description of land applied for; particulars of conditional purchase relevant to lease application by number, date and area; amount of deposit paid; particulars of action taken up for granting of lease or refusing of application; number of conditional lease, and reference to conditional lease register.Most volumes record applications for conditional leases in multiple land districts controlled by the Maitland District Land Board, with each district organised separately using an annual and numeric numbering system. Some volumes relate to a single district, organised similarly. In the front of each register is an alphabetical index by applicants' surnames. Volumes documenting activity in more than one land district also contain an index of districts.The register for Port Macquarie bears a label 'Land Board Office of Grafton' on its front cover. This would be explained by the fact that, over time, the Port Macquarie Land District was transferred from Maitland to the control of other Land Boards. It returned to Maitland in 1924.Department of Lands circular 12/1935 states that by 31 December 1935 bound registers should be replaced by a card system. (1)Endnote1. NRS 8801, Department of Lands circulars [Crown Land Agent Dungog].