VPRS 13215 Register of Applications, Beechworth, Section 47 Land Act 1869 (Beechworth District Survey Office)

VPRS 13215/P1 Register of Applications, Beechworth, Section 47 Land Act 1869 (Beechworth District Survey Office) was created by the District Survey Office at Beechworth. It is duplicated by Register of Applications, Beechworth Section 47 Land Act 1869 (Occupation Branch) (VPRS 13214/P1) which is the register created by the 'Beechworth District Office' at the Occupation Branch.VPRS 13215/P1 was previously registered as Unit 100 of VPRS 451/P Applications Registers 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. The Act also provided for the leasing and licensing of land for other than agricultural and pastoral purposes.Section 47 of the Land Act 1869 allowed, as did Section 53 of the Land Act 1862, for a license to be granted for the use of Crown lands not under lease or license under Part II of the 1869 Act. Uses were for the extraction of raw materials such as timber and stone, the processing of rural products in such facilities as brick kilns, to occupy fishermen's' residences, to erect pumps and collect ballast and for any other purpose for which land might be leased under Section 45 of the Act. Clause 7 allowed the depasturing of animals on land not forming part of any run or common.From the start of 1873, the occupation of any Crown land for pastoral purposes was not to be authorized under the usual pastoral license, but by the use of this 7th clause of Section 47. This change indicated a preference for not giving a prolonged tenure for this purpose and for not selling the country involved as new runs. The use of this clause was advocated as it conceded no privileges with respect to length of tenure or occupation.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 sections of the Land Act 1869 were recorded in the same series of registers irrespective of location. 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 47 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.In an attempt to try and rationalise the way the Department managed Crown land, the Occupation Branch was established in 1874 under the influence of H Byron Moore, Assistant Surveyor General. The Occupation Branch was to deal with all matters relating to the occupation of Crown land.The State was divided into fifteen Land Districts, these being Ararat, Ballarat, Beechworth, Benalla, Castlemaine and Dunolly, Echuca, Geelong Warrnambool and Camperdown, Hamilton, Horsham, Melbourne, Sale and Bairnsdale, Sandhurst (Bendigo), Seymour and St Arnaud. Each District was represented at the Occupation Branch in Melbourne by a 'District Land Office'.Each District Land Office consisted of a double table or desk at which both a clerk and draughtsman sat. Everything in the way of files, maps and plans were at convenient reach. The same officers dealt with the sale of Crown land from its 'inception to its disposition'. The District Offices' staff consisted essentially of a clerical officer and a draughtsman who dealt solely with that Land District. It was their business to know the District and to deal with all land business related to it. By 1877 each District Land Office, consisted of a District Officer, a rental clerk, a draughtsman and several general clerks.After the establishment of the Occupation Branch in 1874 and the division of the State into Land Districts, applications were registered by District. Each 'District Land Office' created and maintained their own series of registers of applications. Any new applications received by the Department after 1874 were registered in separate District registers with applications numbers that were allocated from the number one onwards. The same application number could be allocated for selections in different Districts. For example the application number 1021/49 could exist in both the Ballarat and Bendigo Land Districts, it is the District name plus the accompanying file number that is the unique identifier.Applicants completed an application form at District Survey Offices. Most Land Districts had a District Survey Office. The District Surveyor would enter the applicants' details in a register of applications kept at the District Survey Office. The register of applications allocated a number to each applicant. The application number was written on the application to select and subsequently became their file number if their application was approved.The District Surveyor would enter into the register of applications the application number, the date the application was received, the applicants' name, occupation and parish, the allotment number and size (acres, roods and perches) applied for. The application was then forwarded to the appropriate District Land Office at the Occupation Branch in Melbourne. It was then entered in a duplicate register of applications there against the same application number. The District Surveyor also forwarded a tracing of the allotment applied for.The position of the allotment applied for was immediately charted on a working plan in pencil. The tracing was then sent to the Department of Mines and Water Supply (VA 2720) for a report on any mining objections. If there were no mining objections the application would be heard before a Local Land Board. Local Land Boards were made up of representatives from the local community and the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538). The Boards would hear from all applicants for an allotment and would decide who was to be granted the licence or lease. The schedule documenting the decisions of the Local Land Board was forwarded to the appropriate District Land Office at the Occupation Branch and the decision was entered into the register of applications.The Board of Land and Works (VA 744), the statutory authority for the management of Crown land would give final approval for land selection, acting on the recommendation of the Local Land Board. The decision of the Board of Lands and Works (VA 744) was then recorded in the register of applications. The registers also record the date of the licence issue and any subsequent action in relation to that file. The selectors granted each allotment would then be recorded on the working plan by the District Land Office draughtsman at the Occupation Branch. The tracing of the allotment was then sent to the Crown Land Bailiff responsible for that Land District.The new registers of applications were arranged by Land District and by section of Land Act applications were received under. For example, all applications received under section 47 of the Land Act 1869 for the Ballarat Land District were recorded in the same series of registers. Sections of an Act that were less common were often recorded in the one District register.

VPRS 13215/P1号申请登记簿（毕奇沃思分区，1869年《土地法》第47条，毕奇沃思地区测量局）由毕奇沃思地区测量局编制。其副本为VPRS 13214/P1号申请登记簿（毕奇沃思分区第47条土地法，土地占用科），由“毕奇沃思地区办事处”土地占用科编制。VPRS 13215/P1此前登记为VPRS 451/P号1869年《土地法》申请登记簿第100单元。

1869年《土地法》的出台，将维多利亚州此前未被占用的全部王室土地开放用于认领。1865年《土地法》第42条已规定测量前认领条款，在此之前，所有王室土地需先完成测量方可对外开放。这项测量前免费认领的条款被纳入1869年法案。该立法的核心目的是鼓励在对殖民地最具经济价值的土地上开展定居活动。此外，法案还规定了除农业与牧业用途外的土地租赁与许可制度。

1869年《土地法》第47条与1862年《土地法》第53条均允许颁发许可，用于使用未依据1869年法案第二部分租赁或许可的王室土地。许可用途包括开采木材、石材等原材料，在砖窑等设施中加工农牧产品，为渔民提供住所，安装水泵、收集压载物，以及该法案第45条规定的可租赁土地的其他各类用途。第7款还允许在不属于任何牧场或公共用地的土地上进行牲畜放牧。

自1873年起，任何用于牧业目的的王室土地占用，不再通过常规牧业许可授权，而是适用第47条第7款。这一调整表明当局倾向于不为此类用途提供长期使用权，也不将相关土地作为新牧场处置。采用该条款的主张在于，其不会在使用权期限或占用范围上赋予任何特权。

1869年《土地法》为认领者带来的额外政策优势，使得王室土地认领申请数量激增。至1873年，王室土地与测量局（VA 538）在申请管理方面面临诸多困境，公众投诉达到历史峰值。投诉内容涵盖申请处理周期过长、同一块地块的申请被批准给多名申请人，以及回复公务函件严重拖延等问题。

当部门收到王室土地认领申请后，会将其登记在申请登记簿中。在1874年土地占用科成立之前，所有依据1869年《土地法》各条款提交的申请，无论位于何地，均被统一记录在同一套登记簿中。申请登记簿按申请人姓名的字母顺序编排，申请编号按字母表分块连续分配。

通常，每一项可用于土地认领的法案条款，都会对应设立单独的申请登记簿。例如，所有依据1869年《土地法》第47条提交的申请，均被记录在同一登记簿中。使用频率较低的法案条款，其相关申请通常会被整合记录在同一本登记簿中。

为理顺王室土地管理流程，1874年在助理测量总监H·拜伦·摩尔的推动下，土地占用科正式成立，全权负责处理所有与王室土地占用相关的事务。

全州被划分为15个土地分区，分别为：阿拉拉特、巴拉瑞特、毕奇沃思、本纳拉、卡斯尔梅因与杜诺利、伊丘卡、吉隆、瓦南布尔与坎珀当、哈密尔顿、霍舍姆、墨尔本、塞尔与贝尔斯代尔、桑德赫斯特（本迪戈）、西摩与圣阿诺德。每个分区在墨尔本的土地占用科均设有“地区土地办事处”。

每个地区土地办事处配备双人工作台或办公桌，分别供办事员与绘图员使用，文件、地图与图纸均放置在随手可取的位置。同一批工作人员负责从“土地出让起始到最终处置”的全部王室土地售卖流程。地区办事处的初始人员编制为一名办事员与一名绘图员，专门负责对应土地分区的事务，他们需熟悉本分区地理与土地情况，并处理所有相关土地业务。至1877年，每个地区土地办事处的人员已扩充为：地区官员、租金办事员、绘图员及若干普通办事员。

1874年土地占用科成立并将全州划分为土地分区后，申请登记工作改为按分区进行。每个“地区土地办事处”自行创建并维护各自的申请登记簿系列。1874年后部门收到的所有新申请，均登记在单独的分区登记簿中，申请编号从1开始连续分配。不同土地分区可使用相同的申请编号，例如巴拉瑞特与本迪戈土地分区均可存在申请编号1021/49，唯有分区名称搭配附带的档案编号，方可构成唯一标识符。

申请人需在地区测量局填写认领申请表。大多数土地分区均设有地区测量局。地区测量员会将申请人的详细信息登记在地区测量局留存的申请登记簿中，并为每位申请人分配专属编号。该申请编号会被填写在认领申请表上，若申请获批，则此编号将成为其档案编号。

地区测量员需在申请登记簿中记录以下信息：申请编号、申请接收日期、申请人姓名、职业与教区、申请地块编号与面积（英亩、路得与平方杆）。随后，申请表会被转送至墨尔本土地占用科对应的地区土地办事处，并在该处的副本申请登记簿中以同一申请编号进行登记。地区测量员还需同步寄送申请地块的勘绘图。

申请地块的位置会立即用铅笔标注在工作平面图上。随后，勘绘图会被送至矿产与供水部（VA 2720），以获取是否存在采矿异议的专业报告。若无采矿异议，申请将提交至地方土地委员会审理。地方土地委员会由当地社区代表与王室土地与测量局（VA 538）的代表共同组成。委员会会听取所有地块申请人的陈述，并决议向哪位申请人颁发许可或租赁权。记录地方土地委员会决议的清单会被送至墨尔本土地占用科对应的地区土地办事处，决议内容将被录入申请登记簿。

土地与工程委员会（VA 744）作为王室土地管理的法定主管机构，将依据地方土地委员会的推荐，对土地认领申请作出最终批准。土地与工程委员会（VA 744）的决议随后会被正式记录在申请登记簿中。登记簿还会记录许可颁发日期以及该档案后续的所有相关操作。获批认领地块的申请人信息，会由土地占用科的地区土地办事处绘图员标注在工作平面图上。申请地块的勘绘图随后会被送至负责对应土地分区的王室土地执行官。

新版申请登记簿按土地分区以及申请所依据的法案条款进行编排。例如，所有依据1869年《土地法》第47条提交的巴拉瑞特土地分区申请，均被记录在同一套登记簿中。使用频率较低的法案条款，其申请通常会被记录在同一本分区登记簿中。