VPRS 13173 Register of Applications and Decisions, Ballarat, Section 49 Land Act 1869

The introduction of the Land Act 1869 saw all Crown land, not previously occupied in Victoria opened up for selection. Provisions were made in section 42 of the Land Act 1865 for selection before survey. Prior to this time surveys were conducted on all Crown land before it was made available. The provision of free selection before survey was carried to the 1869 Act. The aim of the legislation was to encourage settlement on lands that would be most advantageous to the colony.Under section 49 of the Land Act 1869 selectors could apply for a licence to occupy and cultivate auriferous (gold field) land. The licence was for one year and the size of the land occupied was not to exceed 20 acres. The licence was renewable each year with the payment of a licence fee. A selector could not hold more than one licence under section 49 of the Land Act 1869.The additional advantages provided to selectors as a result of the Land Act 1869 resulted in an exceptional number of applications to select Crown land. By 1873 the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538) was experiencing many problems in managing applications. Public complaints were at an all time high. The complaints ranged from extraordinarily long delays in application processing, applications being approved for more than one person on the same allotment and long delays in replying to correspondence.When an application to select Crown land was received by the Department it would be registered in a register of applications. Prior to 1874 and the establishment of the Occupation Branch all applications made under section 49 of the Land Act 1869 were recorded in the same series of registers irrespective of location; see VPRS 13128. The contents of registers of applications were arranged alphabetically and application numbers were allocated consecutively in blocks for each letter of the alphabet.Separate registers of applications were usually created for each section of the Land Act under which individuals could apply to select land. For example, all applications received under section 49 of the Land Act 1869 were recorded in the same register. Sections of an Act that were less common were often recorded in the one register.Registers were also created to register applications made locally. VPRS 13173/P1 is an example of these created to register applications made in Ballarat. Details were entered beside a progressive number which was also overwritten with the number allocated to the application when it was forwarded to Melbourne and entered in VPRS 13128 Register of Applications, All Districts, Section 49 Land Act 1869. Details given were the date of the application and that when it was received in the district office, the name and address of the applicant with the area applied for, its location (by parish) and the specific allotment and section. Other details relate to the decision of the local Land Board and dates of survey and forwarding to Melbourne and the issue of the license.VPRS 13173/P1 was previously registered as Unit 44 of VPRS 1283/P. VPRS 13171/P2 was previously registered as Unit 2 of VPRS 6165/P Registers of Land Applications. The details in the P2 unit appear to indicate that it referred primarily to land within Ballarat itsef with as few references to Clunes.