VPRS 13117 Register of Leases Brought Under the Provisions of Sections 31 and 33, Land Act 1869

In 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. License fees were to be credited against the purchase price. The licensee also had the option of taking a lease on the land and paying the purchase price in ten equal instalments.Section 33 of the same Act extended the time of the rights of purchase already granted to holders of occupation licenses in the Land Act 1862 and in Section 17 of the Amending Land Act 1865. Leases already held could be continued under the new Act.This series records the details of leases previously held which were brought under the provisions of Sections 31 and 33 of the Land Act 1869. Initially at least, details of Section 31 leases were entered in red ink and those for Section 33 entered in black ink. Details given are the name of the district the date of selection of the land, the name of the lessee, where appropriate the name of the agricultural area and the parish. Also given are the area of the land and the allotment and section. Correspondence references give the file number. Other details are the dates upon which payment was made, the date when the Land Officer was advised as well as the noting of the lease in the Lease Book, the date when the purchase was complete and the file went to the Deeds Branch.VPRS 13117/P1 unit 1 was previously registered as VPRS 1287/P unit 4. the records were reserialised in 2002.