VPRS 1321 Minute Register, Surveyor-General (1858); Register of Applications for Residence and Cultivation Licences, Land Act 1860 (1861 - 1862)

At the front to the volume in this series is a brief Register of Minutes from the Surveyor-General to the Chief Secretary regarding instructions to be given to the Government Geologist. Details are given under the headings of the Chief Secretary's heading and minute, the Minute of the Chief secretary (transcribed), Report of the Geological Surveyor and the dates of receipt and return. The remainder of the volume contains a Register of Applications for Residence and Cultivation Licenses.Regulations made under the Land Act 1860 allowed the issuing of licences for residence and cultivation of lands. The two main types of these were for the occupation of goldfields lands and for country lands (as defined by Section 14) not otherwise occupied.Land known to be auriferous (gold-bearing) was not to be alienated (Section 9) other than under the Act or any other enactment. However, Regulations under the Act provided that residence and cultivation licences could be granted on the goldfields at a rental of ten pounds per annum for 2 acres. Further land, up to 20 acres could be rented for five shillings per acre per annum. These licences would only be issued if it was proved that there was no obstruction to the working of mining claims and miners were empowered to enter the land after the payment of compensation to the license holder for any improvements. At any time land could be alienated by auction or otherwise and the land could be surveyed by the Government where it was deemed necessary for public convenience.Country lands could be licensed for residence and cultivation as long as they were seven and a half miles from existing gold workings and had not been proclaimed for selection or were not already open for selection. Licenses were to be issued for areas between 40 and 160 acres for one year, renewable annually, for up to seven years at the rate of 2/6 per acre per annum. The land could be sold with an allowance made for improvements made to it by the licensee. This could not occur without the consent of the licensee or an application of the licensee for seven years although the land could be surveyed by the Government if it was deemed essential for the public convenience.Application had to be made for these licenses with applications made simultaneously for the same allotment of land to be decided by lot. Applications were registered as received and if accepted, details of the license were registered. The Register in this series gives the number allocated the application, date of the application and the date received, the name of the applicant and the locality (given as the parish) the area applied for, the date referred, the correspondence reference and the decision made on the application with the reason.