Colonial Secretary Guide - Flipbook - Page 331
-329-
26.
Copies of letters to Commissioners of Crown Lands, 28 April 1834 - 11 February 1847
4 vols (part)
Copies of letters mainly addressed to Commissioners of Crown Lands beyond the Boundaries of
Location but including some letters to Commissioners within the settled districts who also held
some other official position. These latter Commissioners had as their responsibility the protection
of crown lands from intrusion, encroachment and trespass.
By Acts of Council in 1836 and 1839 Commissioners of Crown Lands were appointed for the
squatting districts and these were the sole officials of Government beyond the Nineteen Counties.
As such they had magisterial authority. They exercised control over the grazing properties,
settled disputes between run holders, collected fees payable on Depasturing Licences and also the
assessment on stock. The letters illustrate some of the difficulties facing the government in the
administration of the scheme, including the unsatisfactory conduct of the Border Police set up
under the 1839 act and controlled by the commissioners. The police were mostly convicts and
Gipps finally had to decide against employing any but free settlers for the duty.
Periodic instructions to newly appointed commissioners present an up to date picture of the
situation at the date they were issued and illustrate the rapid extension of squatting in the years
after the Squatting Acts were passed.
The Commissioners continued to act for a time even after the Legislative Council refused to
renew the 1839 Act in the middle of 1846.
27.
Indexes:
In front of volumes
Location:
4/6188 pp.260-69, 4/3659-61; microfilm copy AO Reel 2996
Shelf List:
See Appendix p. 354
Copies of letters to Commissioners of Crown Lands within the Boundaries, 17 March 1849 21 October 1856 2 vols
The letters deal with the appointment of Commissioners, complaints received, leases of land and
timber licences, illegal occupation of Crown Land and cutting of timber, erection of pounds at
Sydney and Shoalhaven, purchase of land, water reserve and so on.
Letters to the Commissioners of Crown Lands 1834-47 are in series 26, to the Chief Commissioner
1848-56 in 16 and to the Commissioners for the Gold Districts 1851-56 in series 41.
Indexes:
In front of volumes
Location:
4/3662-63; microfilm copy AO Reel 2997
Shelf List:
See Appendix p. 354
