Queensland – The Alienation of Crown Lands Act of 1860

On the 6th June 1859, Queensland was proclaimed a colony and was separated from New South Wales.

The Alienation of Crown Lands Act of 1860, dated the 17th September 1860, was devised to facilitate the speedy procurement of land of new settlers arriving in the new colony:

” . . . it is expedient to make better provision for the sale and other alienation of the waste lands of the crown within the Colony of Queensland . . . “

In brief, it allowed for:

→  the repeal of Orders in Council and Regulations and Acts of the previous New South Wales governing law;

→  the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, to have the authority to convey and alienate lands;

→  the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, to proclaim portions of crown lands for cities, towns, villages, public purpose;

→  the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, to grant or dispose of lands for public purpose;

→  the price of land to be set at no less than £1 per acre, with the transaction to be considered complete once the land had been surveyed and delineated on the public maps;

→  lands to be sold by auction on the proviso that the auction be proclaimed in the Queensland Government Gazette not less than 1 month and not more than 3 months prior to the day of auction;

→  stipulated that lands offered for sale be classified into classes and lots;

→  unsold lands to be sold by private contract;

→  the stipulation that should lands be sold by private contract, a deposit of 10% would be required to be paid on the day of auction and the balance within 1 calendar month.  Should the monies not be paid, the deposit would be forfeited and the sale null and void;

→  100,000 acres to be set apart for agricultural purposes on the shores of Moreton Bay, Wide Bay, Port Curtis and Keppel Bay.  The price to be set at 20 shillings per acre;

→  agricultural lands to be selected via application to the land agent, identifying the selection on a map and paying 20 shillings per acre of land on the condition that the land be occupied and improved / cultivated within a period of 6 months – at which time a Deed of Grant would be issued;

→  the lease of agricultural reserve lands contiguous to a farm for a period of 5 years, during which time the lessee was entitled to purchase the land if it be fenced and no other applications had been made;

→  limitations of sizes of agricultural reserve lands sold at no less than 40 acres and no more than 320 acres;

→  commonage;

→  the sale of lands within boundaries of cities, towns or villages at fair value in improved state, or, not less than minimum upset price for unimproved state;

→  the closing of unnecessary roads

→  the sale of crown lands without competition in special circumstance;

→  the remission of purchase monies, in special circumstance, to army and naval officers;

→  land orders for immigrants;

→  incentives to grow quality cotton;

→  the purchase of lands for mining at 20 shillings per acre at a maximum of 640 acres;

→  the Governor to make regulations.

On the very same day the Unoccupied Crown Lands Occupation Act of 1860 was also signed . . .

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View other important events in Queensland’s History . . .

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