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Series Details

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Series ID14033
Previous System LocationLAN/AG1- LAN/AG871; PRV9882
Title

Selection Files
Parent Series
This series does not have a parent series.
Start Date 4/8/1868
End Date Circa 12/31/1900
Date Statement N/A
Date Notes N/A
Abstract

Administration of land selected under "Land Acts 1868 to1884"

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Items Total Items: 36197
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Departmental NumbersN/A
System of Arrangement Numerical within each Land Agent's District.
How To Use Series Files have been listed by the name of the selector/s and any subsequent lessee. The files are controlled by the Registers of Selections Series 13945.
 
 

Creating Agencies

Agency IDTitleFromTo
18Lands Department 4/8/1868 12/31/1900
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Access and Restrictions

Access Category

30 Years
Access ProcedurePermission to access restricted material by responsible agency
Agency Now Responsible
Agency ID: 11171
Environment and Resource Management Department
Restriction DetailsN/A
Regulation Details
N/A
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Subordinate Series

Details of subordinate series do not exist or are unavailable.
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Controlling Series

Series IDTitleFromTo
13945Registers of Selections 4/8/1868 2/26/1885
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Controlled Series

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Previous Series

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Subsequent Series

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Related Series

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Finding Aids

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Publication Notes

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Physical / Technical Use


Copies Elsewhere


Copyright Status

Copyright State of Queensland
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Remarks


Information Sources


Description

The "Alienation of Crown Lands Act" was assented to on 28 February 1868. It repealed all previous acts relating to the occupation, alienation or other disposal of Crown Lands.

The Governor in Council was able to appoint Land Agents to deal with the sale, selection and leasing of Crown Land under the provisions of the Act. Land to be open for selection was to be proclaimed in the Government Gazette and the nearest local newspaper at least one month prior to the opening date.

Land was divided into three classes - agricultural land, first class pastoral land and second class pastoral land. Limits to land selected included area - not less than 40 acres and not more than 640 acres for agricultural land, not less than 80 and not more than 2560 acres for first class pastoral and not less than 80 nor more than 7680 acres for second class pastoral land. To lease land the selector had to be an adult, natural born or naturalised. A married women could only hold land if she had a decree for judicial separation or an order protecting her property in Queensland. There are many cases in this series of women inheriting land from their husbands. Leases were for ten years. The price of the land varied depending on the class of land, 15 shillings per acre for agricultural, ten shillings per acre for first class pastoral and five shillings for second class pastoral. Rent was payable in ten annual instalments. These were conditional selections, where the selector had to fulfil conditions of residence and specified improvements before being able to buy the land either at the end of the ten year lease or on payment of the total price. The Act gives detailed provisions for selection.

The "Alienation of Crown Lands Act of 1868" and subsequent amending Acts were repealed by the "Crown Lands Alienation Act of 1876". For the purposes of this series there were few major changes. Land selected under the 1868 Act continued. The classes of land were changed and prices were no longer laid down in the legislation but could be set by the Governor in Council.

Files include land which was subsequently purchased, land forfeited or applications which were rejected or withdrawn. Selections taken up under various sections of the Act are included, although there may also be some small series of selection files for specific purposes that were kept separately e.g. selections for the cultivation of sugar or coffee and selections taken up under the Immigration Act.

The land was taken up between April 1868 and February 1885. Leases were for ten years. However some files have correspondence well into the 1900s that was added after the land became freehold, an example is that of some road case files that have been added to the selection file.

The files may include any of the following - application to select, description, survey plan, lease, proof of fulfilment of conditions, certificate of fulfilment of conditions, Government Gazette notices, transfer of lease, forfeiture of selection, reversal of forfeiture, application to purchase, issue of deed of grant, and correspondence. Occasionally there is a death or marriage certificate of the selector.
The boundaries and names of Land Agents' Districts were subject to change. The Registers of Selections, Series ID 13495, reflect changes. Sometimes a file has a number from a first Land Agent's District and it is only the cover page which gives the new number.
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Preferred Citation

Queensland State Archives Series ID 14033, Selection Files
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