VPRS 13950 Register of Applications, Section 49 Closer Settlement Act 1904

Part III Land Act 1898 was the first substantial legislation for Closer Settlement allowing the Board of Land and Works to purchase land which then could be divided and leased, by conditional purchase lease for farm allotments or as allotments in urban areas (which became the Workmen's Homes scheme).The Closer Settlement Act 1904 brought together all legislation relating to Closer Settlement including the Land Act 1898 and amendments made in the consolidated Land Act of 1901 with new provisions. All activities to do with Closer Settlement were placed under the control of the Land Purchase and Management Board (VA 2266).Farm allotments, workmen's homes and an agricultural labourer's lease were to be conditional purchase leases with no person being able to hold more than one. A lengthy list of conditions set out in Section 49 of the Act were part of the lease for farm allotments. These included compulsory residence requirements, compulsory fencing requirements, the destruction of vermin and noxious weeds, the making of substantial improvements to a specified value (subject to inspection and certification by the Board) and the condition of not alienating the land in the first six years of the lease.Instalments of the purchase price were to be paid half-yearly with fines for late payments, the first instalment accompanying the application refundable if the application was unsuccessful. Interest was to be paid on the purchase price with payments in 63 equal instalments or otherwise as negotiated with the Board. After twelve years, if all conditions had been met and the full purchase price paid, application could be made for a Crown grant. Rent rolls which documented the payment of these instalments are held by PROV as VPRS 13951.Applications were recorded in the register of applications with the allocation of an application number which became the file number. Files may be able to be found mainly in VPRS 5714 Closer [and Soldier] Settlement Files with a denominator of 49. Registers give the name and current address of the applicant, the location and extent of the land, whether the application was successful and remarks which indicate the management of the file throughout the lease.VPRS 13950 / P1 Units 2 to 5 were previously registered as Units 171 and 44 of VPRS 458 / P Application Registers, Land Act Unknown, Unit 1 of VPRS 146 Application Register, Land Act 1895 and Unit 11 of VPRS 455 Application Registers, Land Act 1898.