Hi Could someone help me out by explaining the difference between land purchased under Crown Grant and land purchased under Conditional Purchase? Thankyou. Regards, Dianne

Hi Dianne, *Crown Grant*: Grant of land title by the Crown; a deed of grant issued in the name of the then current monarch conveying to the grantee some portion of land in fee simple. A Crown grant is the first alienation of crown land and often excludes or reserves from the grant some part of the land such as minerals or roads, so that those parts remain vested in the Crown. In simple terms a Crown Grant was land purchased from the Crown, usually this was new releases of govt owned land. *Alienation of Land* Power of the owner to dispose of his interest in real or personal property. The transference of ownership of land. *Crown Title*: Unalienated land, vested in the Crown under the direct care and control of the Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act 1989, not held under Torrens title system. *Conditional Purchase & or Lease* Purchase & or Lease of rural land granted to applicants at low rentals *on condition that certain capital works are carried out within stated* *periods*. On the completion of the original conditions and other formalities and the payment of a total sum the land could be purchased outright. If the conditions of the lease or purchase were not me, the lease or purchase was forfeited. hth Helen On 21/07/06, Dianne Myers <dmyers@exemail.com.au> wrote: > > > Hi > Could someone help me out by explaining the difference between land > purchased under Crown Grant and land purchased under Conditional Purchase? > Thankyou. > > Regards, Dianne > > > > > ==== AUS-NSW-NEW-ENGLAND Mailing List ==== > Need Help ? > Try http://www.raogk.org/listing.htm > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >

Hi, The intent of the land policy of the colonial government from 1788 on was to promote the self-sufficiency of the colony by the system of quit-rent or the so-called free grants of land. The applicant furnished to the government of the day a letter supporting his application from the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Then depending upon his means he was granted or promised up to a maximum of 2560 acres or four square miles. He in turn had to fulfill conditions of improvement to the land such as buildings and fences. The land had to be cultivated over a period of seven years to a value calculated by multiplying his holding size in acres by 20 and then times two pence; a value for a holding of 2560 acres of £426.13s.4d. At the end of the seven years the landholder could apply for his title deeds. He then over a period of twenty years paid an annual quit rent determined by the number of acres times two pence which in the case of a holding of 2560 acres amounted to £21 13s 4d. This ‘free land’ policy continued until 1831 when the sale of land by public auction was introduced. The 1831 land regulations provided for reserve prices for the land set by the government. Prices ranged from a minimum of 5/- per acre in 1831, 12/- in 1839 to £1.0.0 in 1842. The proceeds from the sales were used to provide a fund for new immigrants. The passage of the ‘Squatters’ Act of 1846 – 47 replaced the system of annual tenure and gave to the pastoral industry beyond the ‘limits of location’ a fixity of tenure , albeit only from eight to fourteen years but during that period only he could purchase the land. In 1861 Sir John Robertson introduced his ‘free selection before survey’ Act. Robertson’s act gave selectors the right to select a living area in any Crown Land, leased or unleased. A ‘living’ area was from 40 to 320 acres with an obligation to live on the property for at least three years. The purchase price of £1 was payable by a deposit of 25% and the balance almost at will with interest at 5 %. The selector also had a requirement to effect improvements at £1 per acre. Title was then given provided that the conditions regarding improvements and residency were being fulfilled. These small farmers were known as ‘selectors’ and the land as ‘CP’ or ‘Conditional Purchase’ blocks. However it should be noted that Robertson’s Act did not replace the sale of crown land by auction, which continued to provide an important source of revenue. Indeed in the period after the passage of Robinson Free Selection Land Act intended to ‘unlock the land’ the amount of freehold held by the big grazers and pastoral companies rather than ‘settlers’ actually increased. As Manning Clark points out, of over 170,000 applications for selections between 1861 and 1880 only about 20,000 or 12% had gained title by 1880. Robertson’s Act remained in force in principle for twenty-three years, but in 1884 pastoral leases was exempted from selection. Hth Terry