VPRS 747 Advances Files - Eastern Division

This series consists of files created and maintained by officers of the Closer Settlement Branch of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538) as a result of the advances schemes for settlers under both the Closer Settlement scheme (commencing from Part III of the Land Act 1898, followed by the Closer Settlement Act 1904) and the Soldier Settlement schemes (commencing from the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act 1917). The files provide evidence regarding the advance account holder and the land leased. Details given on the cover of the file are the names of the estate and the landholder, the location and area of the land leases and the date and term of the lease. Other details may include a summary of the advances made and the purpose (house, grading, wire netting or stock) and a summary of liens taken on produce and of payments. Other information may indicate that the settler had taken advantage of the farmers debt adjustment Act 1935, that the block had been enlarged to provide a living area or that revaluation had not occurred.Files in this series appear to have been those closed after the revaluations and reassessments of all closer and soldier settler debts in 1937.Other inclusions in the files may consist of correspondence between the settler and the Closer Settlement Board (VA 2266) or the Closer Settlement Commission (VA 2268), advances applications, for discharged soldier settlers the Qualification Certificate and associated papers, improvement reports made by Inspectors of Land Settlement, payment receipts, asset realisations and Board hearings, proceedings and decisions in relation to the advance account. Some of the files have 'deficiency case' stamped on the facing page. This appears to have been done when the decision was made that there was little or no possibility that the settler would be able to make repayments.Tenants on closer settlement or soldier settlement land lots were able to lease the land for at first a period of six years with residence and improvements conditions. These terms required the lessee to fence the land, destroy vermin and noxious weeds and some leases required the tenant to erect a dwelling on the land within one year. After six years, lessees could mortgage, transfer or sub-let their land. They could also apply for a Crown Grant to purchase the land if the balance of the purchase monies had been paid.Both the Closer Settlement Acts and the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act 1917 (and its successors) allowed for the payment of advances to settlers to allow for the erection of buildings, for fencing, for the purchase of implements and stock and for other defined purposes. The amount able to be obtained and the terms of repayment were set forth in the Acts with the Board (or Commission) able to take a lien or mortgage or other security to ensure repayment of the advance. Details of these may be found in VPRS 11922 Register of Securities, Discharged Soldiers Acts or in VPRS 11923 Register of Securities, Closer Settlement Acts.When closer settlement land was first selected like any Crown land, a selection file was created. Selection files are held in VPRS 5714 Closer [and Soldier] Settlement Files. If settlers applied for and were granted an advance, an advance file was created.The advance file records the closer settlement selection file number of the advance account holder. Conversely, if an advance file existed, the selection file will record the advance file number. The two files were maintained simultaneously as the selection file recorded information about the lease/licence of the land and the advance file recorded information specifically concerning advances made to lease/licence holders.Files in the P1 consignment were formerly held in VPRS 10381/P Soldier Settlement Advances Files from which they were removed during re-processing and re-listing of that series. These files are from the irrigable areas in the Shepparton area. State Rivers and Water Supply Commission was largely responsible for administration of the irrigable estates.During reprocessing in 2006 the original contents of Units 98 - 101 inclusive as well as some other files were removed from this series and reprocessed as the P2 consignment of VPRS 15762 Land Files Estrays, Closer and Soldier Settlement. The remaining advances files in the series were consolidated in Units 97 to 101.Files in the P1 consignment were previously held in VPRS 10381 Soldier Settlement Advances Files from which thay were removed during the reprocessing and relisting of that series.

本系列档案由王室土地与测绘部（Department of Crown Lands and Survey）近郊安置分支（Closer Settlement Branch，档案编号VA 538）的官员创建并维护，源自两项安置计划下向定居者提供的预付款款项：一是始于《1898年土地法》第三部分、后续由《1904年近郊安置法》完善的近郊安置计划（Closer Settlement scheme），二是始于《1917年退役军人安置法》的军人安置计划（Soldier Settlement schemes）。
本档案系列包含预付款账户持有人与租赁土地的相关佐证信息。档案封面上标注的细节包括地产与土地持有人姓名、土地租赁的位置与面积、租赁日期与租期。其他细节可涵盖已发放预付款的汇总情况、预付款用途（建房、土地平整、铺设铁丝网或购置牲畜），以及农产品留置权与付款记录的汇总信息。其他内容还可能包括：定居者曾适用《1935年农民债务调整法》、地块已被扩用以提供居住区域，或未进行过重新估值。
本系列档案均为1937年对所有近郊与军人安置债务完成重新估值与评估后结案的档案。档案中还可能包含定居者与近郊安置委员会（Closer Settlement Board，档案编号VA 2266）或近郊安置专员公署（Closer Settlement Commission，档案编号VA 2268）之间的往来信函、预付款申请材料；针对退役军人定居者的资格证书及相关文件、土地安置督察出具的改良报告、付款收据、资产变现记录，以及与预付款账户相关的委员会听证程序、诉讼与裁决文件。部分档案的正面页加盖有“亏损案件”印章，该印章通常在判定定居者几乎或完全无法偿还欠款时加盖。
近郊安置或军人安置地块的租户最初可租赁土地六年，需满足居住与土地改良条件。这些条款要求承租人围栏护地、消灭害兽与有害杂草，部分租赁协议还要求租户在一年内搭建住宅。租期届满六年后，承租人可对土地进行抵押、转让或转租，亦可在付清剩余购地款后申请王室授地以购置该土地。
《近郊安置法》与《1917年退役军人安置法》（及其后续修订法案）均允许向定居者发放预付款，用于建房、围栏、购置农具与牲畜及其他指定用途。可获得的预付款金额与还款条款在法案中予以明确，委员会（或专员公署）可通过留置权、抵押权或其他担保方式确保预付款得以偿还。相关细节可查阅VPRS 11922《退役军人法案担保登记册》或VPRS 11923《近郊安置法案担保登记册》。
当近郊安置土地首次像其他王室土地一样被选定时，会创建选地档案。选地档案存档于VPRS 5714《近郊[及军人]安置档案》。若定居者提交预付款申请并获得批准，则会创建预付款档案。预付款档案会记录预付款账户持有人的选地档案编号；反之，若存在预付款档案，选地档案也会标注对应的预付款档案编号。两类档案需同步维护：选地档案记录土地租赁/许可的相关信息，而预付款档案仅记录向租赁/许可持有人发放预付款的相关细节。
P1批次的档案原存放于VPRS 10381/P《军人安置预付款档案》中，后在该系列档案的重新处理与重新编目过程中被移出。本批次档案源自谢珀顿地区的可灌溉区域，该区域可灌溉地产的管理工作主要由州河流与供水委员会负责。2006年的重新处理过程中，原第98至101组（含首尾）的档案及其他部分档案被移出本系列，重新整理为VPRS 15762《无主牲畜、近郊与军人安置档案》的P2批次。本系列中剩余的预付款档案被整合至第97至101组。
P1批次的档案原存放于VPRS 10381《军人安置预付款档案》中，后在该系列档案的重新处理与重新编目过程中被移出。