Land Orders The information below from the Qld State Archives web site explains more about land orders. It is probable that not all Land Orders issued were converted to land ownership. Also given that one of the Registers is for Non Transferable Land Orders, it is probable that others were transferable and thus possibly there may have been a market for them. One of the benefits of a large family would have been the entitlement to more Land Orders. There is similar explanatory material for each of the online indeces. I suggest having a look at the website as it is too much to copy to here. Albert is thus probably correct the Drewes went to St Helens Station on work contract for five years before returning to Middle Ridge. A search of the Archives produces results for Ferdinand and Franz Drews taking up two blocks each in Toowoomba in April 1868 - just 5 years after they arrived. They appear to be the younger two sons of the family who would have been 13 and 11. This seems a little odd - but it could be the German habit of having several Christian names and not being known by the first is causing some confusion ( says someone who is not known by his first name). John Heinemann "A land order was legal tender for the selection and purchase of land at auction, made available under the various Queensland Land Acts in the nineteenth century. It was not an order for a particular piece of land. Therefore it is not possible to find out from land order records the locality of real property description of a piece of land selected or purchased by a particular person. The scheme was designed as a means of inducing immigrants to settle in Queensland. The conditions under which they were issued changed substantially over time with changes to the relevant legislation. In general, they were available to persons paying their own passage in full or to persons (such as shipping agents) paying the passage in full for someone else. At certain times and under certain conditions, they were also granted to the following categories of persons: nominated or remittance passengers, persons nominating immigrants, indentured passengers, employers contracting indentured passengers, and assisted passengers. The value of land orders varied. (see below for the various registers used to create the online index) In some cases, a first land order was convertible immediately after arrival and a second land order available after a period of residence in Queensland. Records of land orders issued usually give: • Name of immigrant • Name of person to whom the land order was issued and, in some cases, • Details of the ship and date of arrival. Details of the land purchased or selected using the land order are not given. A land order acts as evidence that a particular immigrant was resident in Queensland on a particular date." "This Index was created from several series of records relating to Land Orders that were created by the Immigration Department. Series ID 13137 (IMM/249), Register of Land Orders issued on payment of undertakings, 1870-1874 Series ID 13139 (IMM/246), Register of the Issue of 18 Pounds' (£18) Land Orders, 1861-1863 Series ID 13144 (IMM/247), Register of Land Order Claims, 1862-1864 Series ID 13145 (IMM/248), Register of 18 Pounds' (£ 18) and 30 pounds' (£30) Land Orders, 1864-1873 Series ID 13146 (IMM/249), Register of 30-Acre Land Orders, 1864 Series ID 13148 (IMM/249), Register of Land Orders Issued to employers, 1872-1875 Series ID 18514 (IMM/249), Register of 30 pounds' (£30) Land Orders, 1864-1866 Series ID 18515 (IMM/249), Register of 40-Acre Non-Transferable Land Orders, 1870-1876" *********