VPRS 1291 Register of Lessees, Kyneton Section 31 Land Act 1869

The Land Act of 1869, Section 31 gave a pre-emptive right of purchase to holders of occupation licenses under Section 42 of the Amending Land Act 1865 (regulating the occupation of auriferous lands). Various conditions had to be met for this right to be exercised. The licensee had to have occupied the land for at least two and a half years, have made improvements to the land and no objection to the alienation of the land was made on the grounds that it was auriferous (gold-bearing) or other grounds of a public nature. License fees already paid were to be credited against the purchase price with the Board of Land and Works to grant the licensee a certificate specifying the amount of land and survey fees paid by him during the period of occupation. The licensee also had the option of taking a lease on the land under the same conditions and paying the purchase price in ten equal instalments.A small number of holders of occupation licenses under Section 42 of the Amending Land Act 1865 did take out leases rather than purchasing the land outright.These payments and other details were recorded in the Registers of Lessees. Details given were the date of the lease, the name of the lessee in full, the county and parish, the allotment and section and the area of the land. Details were given also of the price of the land and the amount previously paid as license fees as determined on the Certificate of Rent and Survey Fees Paid. Subsequent payments and receipt numbers are recorded as are correspondence references. The Remarks column gives the details of any transfers of the lease or subsequent purchases and notes regarding mining objections or the need for the land for public purposes. Often, the file number as given in VPRS 627 Land Selection Files, Land Act 1869, Section 31 is given.The registration of leases may be found in VPRS 11871 Register of Leases Granted Under Land Acts 1869, 1878, 1880. Purchases of land under this Section were recorded in VPRS 13106/P1 Registers of Purchases, Section 31 Land Act 1869.This series was originally registered as Unit 2 of VPRS 1291/P Index to Lessees Unit 2. Unit 2