VPRS 17448 Soldier Settlement Land Files

This series comprises files relating to closer and soldier settlement schemes.BackgroundPart III of the Land Act 1898 introduced a system by which the government was able to re-purchase land for closer settlement. The object of this and subsequent legislation was to transform large estates into closely settled communities engaged in agriculture. The repurchased land was made available as farm allotments, agricultural labourers' allotments and workmen's home allotments to suitable applicants under the terms of conditional purchase leases. Certain residence and improvements conditions applied, initially for the first six years, after which time lessees were at liberty to mortgage, transfer or sub-let with consent and, on payment of the balance of the purchase money, to obtain a Crown Grant. Subsequently lessees were also eligible to apply for advances to assist them to erect dwellings and outbuildings and for other approved purposes.Land was allocated to applicants under conditional purchase leases which required lessees to fence the land, to destroy vermin and noxious weeds and to make other improvements. The leases were granted subject to residence requirements and lessees of agricultural labourers' allotments and workmen's home allotments were required to erect a dwelling within one year. The government also made financial advances to lessees to assist them to fence their land and to build the required dwellings.In 1917 under the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act the government undertook the settlement of discharged soldiers on lands set aside exclusively for them as a reward for their war service. Special conditions such as low interest finance and no repayments for the first 3 years on 36 year purchase leases were introduced for the settlement of discharged soldiers.From 1922 assisted British immigrants were settled on the land as part of the Closer Settlement schemes.This series comprises correspondence files maintained by the Council. The files contain inward and outward correspondence relating to the Soldier Settlement Land Scheme. Correspondence was mainly between the Council, the Closer Settlement Office / Board and the Department of Lands and Survey. There is also some correspondence between the Council and the applicant.

本数据集系列涵盖与密集定居计划（Closer Settlement Scheme）及军人安置计划（Soldier Settlement Scheme）相关的档案文件。
背景：
1898年《土地法》第三编确立了一项制度，授权政府为推进密集定居计划回购土地。该法案及后续相关立法的核心目标，是将大型地产改造为从事农业生产的集约定居社区。回购所得土地将以农场地块、农业劳工地块及工人住宅地块的形式，通过附条件购买租约（conditional purchase leases）的条款分配给符合资质的申请人。
该租约首六年需遵守居住要求与土地改良义务；期满后，承租人经许可可自由抵押、转让或转租租约，且在付清剩余购地款项后，可申请取得王室土地产权证（Crown Grant）。后续承租人还可申请预支资金，用于建造住宅、附属建筑及其他经批准的用途。
以附条件购买租约形式分配的土地，要求承租人完成围栏搭建、杀灭害虫与有害杂草及其他土地改良工作。租约需满足居住要求，其中持有农业劳工地块及工人住宅地块的承租人须在一年内建成住宅。政府亦会向承租人提供资金预支，用于搭建土地围栏及建造规定住宅。
1917年，依据《退伍军人安置法（Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act）》的规定，政府负责将专门预留的土地用于安置退伍军人，以此作为对其兵役服务的褒奖。针对退伍军人安置工作，政府推出了多项优惠政策，包括低息融资、36年购地租约前三年无需还款等。
1922年起，作为密集定居计划的组成部分，受资助的英国移民也被安置到该类土地之上。
本数据集系列包含该委员会留存的往来信函档案，所有档案均涉及军人安置土地计划的内外往来函件。信函往来主体主要为该委员会、密集定居办事处/委员会以及土地与测量部（Department of Lands and Survey），同时也包含少量该委员会与申请人之间的通信。