VPRS 14384 Register of Applications, Mallee Lands, Perpetual Leases

This series consists of the Registers of Applications for perpetual leases of Mallee Lands created and maintained by the Mallee Division of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey. This Division dealt with the lands in the Mallee region and lands in such Land Districts as Horsham, St Arnaud and Kerang which were classified as being of the same type.Details given in the registers are the number and date of the application, the name and address of the applicant and the location and extent of the land. It should be noted that for most Mallee lands the location is given as the county (e.g. Karkaroc, Tatchera, Borung) rather than the more usual parish. Other details are of the results of Local Land Board hearings regarding the application, the date of the lease, details of any transfer of the lease and details (in the Remarks column) relating to the management of the file and any correspondence.The Mallee Lands Act 1896 made extensive provisions and conditions for the selection of Mallee Lands under perpetual leases. The selector had the choice of selecting up to 640 acres under either the provisions for agricultural allotments or as a perpetual lease. Section 8 of that Act set out such conditions as the extermination of vermin, the fencing of the land, the rights of the Crown regarding resumption and compensation for improvements. Rents were set up to 1913 with provision being made for ten-yearly reviews of the amount by the Board of Land and Works thereafter. Arrears of rent could be recovered and the lessee had the right to transfer the leasehold to another person.