IV - LAND LEGISLATION AND SETTLEMENT

Summary

NEW SOUTH WALES

The Land Acts of 1861 were in force, without any alteration, during the whole of this period, and in these first years of its operation the Robertson policy seems to have justified some of the predictions of its partisans. Its two great objects were to give access to the land to men of small means, and to facilitate the settlement of an agricultural population side by side with the great pastoral tenants of the Crown. The first of these objects was undoubtedly accomplished, but the Act failed altogether to establish an agricultural population or promote agriculture in any way whatever. At the close of 1861 there were already nearly 300,000 acres under crop; in 1872 the corresponding area was 454,000 acres. Meanwhile, some 4,800,000 acres had been alienated, so that for every acre put under cultivation 30 acres were sold.

No very great increase in the sale of land took place immediately the Act of 1861 came into force. During 1862, 357, 281 acres were sold conditionally, and the area sold otherwise was 88,056 acres. The purchases made in 1862 satisfied a large number of genuine selectors, who had been waiting some time for an opportunity of obtaining land; and during the next few years the conditional selections made were much less numerous, mainly from this reason, though, it may be, the character of the seasons had also something to do with the matter.