Squatter: One who settled on Crown Land to run stock especially sheep, initially without Government permission but later with a lease or licence (Macquarie Dictionary, 2nd Edition).
Grazier: The owner of a rural property on which sheep or cattle are grazed (Macquarie ABC Dictionary, 2003, page 427).
This is an index to holders of depasturing licences and others who were occupying Crown land beyond the Nineteen Counties, and who were visited by the Commissioners of Crown Lands. We have titled this Index Squatters and Graziers, the formal title is: Index to Itineraries and returns of Commissioners of Crown Lands, 1837-49
NRS 906: Colonial Secretary: Commissioners of Crown Lands - Itineraries
Bathurst
William Colburn Mayne, 15 Dec 1846 - 17 Apr 1847, 9 Sep 1847 - 8 Sep 1848 [X817], Reel 2748
Bligh
Graham D Hunter, 8-23 Aug 1839, 6 Dec 1839 - 14 Jan 1840, 1 Mar - 20 Nov 1843, 22 May - 6 Jun 1844, 16 Oct 1845 - 7 Jan 1846, 10 Jul - 6 Nov 1847 [X814], Reel 2748
Clarence River
Oliver Fry, 7 Jan 1844 - 14 Nov 1845 [X813], Reel 2748
Darling Downs
Christopher Rolleston, 10-24 Nov 1843, 24 May - 18 Jun 1844, 2 Jan - 25 Feb 1845, 8‑14 Apr 1846, 1 Jan - 26 Apr 1847, 10 Apr - 19 May 1848, 16 Oct - 9 Nov 1848 [X817], Reel 2748
Gippsland
Charles James Tyers, 29 Jan 1844 - 31 Dec 1845 (duplicates), [X818], Reel 2749
Lachlan
Edgar Beckham, 27 Nov - 16 Dec 1841, 17 Apr 1843 - 10 Jan 1846, 10 Apr 1847 - 20 Feb 1849 [X811], Reel 2748
Henry Cosby, 22 Sep - 13 Oct 1839, 1 Jan - 26 Feb 1840. Half yearly return of population and livestock in the Lachlan district from 1 Jan 1840 [X813], Reel 2748
Liverpool Plains
Roderick Mitchell, 5 Apr - 6 May 1844 [X817], Reel 2748
McLeay River
Robert George Massie. Inclusive dates not noted. Itineraries dated 10 Jul 1844, 4 Feb 1845, 14 Feb 1846, 30 Mar 1847 [X816], Reel 2748
Monaroo
John Lambie, 29 Jul 1839 - 24 Nov 1840 [X815], Reel 2748, 31 Aug 1843 - 26 Apr 1844 [4/10803.2], 3 Jun 1845 - 29 Feb 1848 and Return of stations in Monaroo district, Mar 1848 [X815], Reel 2748
Moreton Bay
Stephen Simpson, 7 May - 17 Jun 1844, 8 Dec 1844 - 1 Mar 1845, 13 Dec 1848 - 2 Mar 1849 [X818], Reel 2749
Murrumbidgee
Henry Bingham, 10 Jul - Nov 1839, Aug 1843, Jul 1844, Mar - Nov 1845, Apr - Jun 1847 [X812], Reel 2748
Evelyn Pitfield Shirley Sturt, 10‑24 Jun 1837, [X818], Reel 2749
Murray
Henry Wilson Hutchinson Smythe, 25 Sep 1843 - 3 Apr 1846 [X818], Reel 2749
New England
George James MacDonald, 16 Jul - 20 Sep 1839, 1 Jan 1840 - 30 Apr 1841, 1 Jan 1844 - 31 Dec 1845 [X816], Reel 2748
Port Macquarie
Henry Oakes, 7-28 Mar 1837, 13 Oct - 2 Nov 1837, 16 Jul - 19 Aug 1839, 14 Feb - 24 Sep 1840, 1 Jan - 30 May 1841 [X817], Reel 2748
Port Phillip
Henry Fysche Gisborne, 30 Aug - 26 Dec 1839 [4/10803.3], 11-27 Jan 1840 [X814], Reel 2748, 28 Jan - 18 Feb 1840 [4/10803.4]
Portland Bay
Foster Fyans, 1 Jan - 31 Dec 1842, 1 Jul - 31 Dec 1845. Half yearly returns of population and livestock from 1 Jul 1842 and 1 Jul 1845 [X814], Reel 2748. (see also NRS 1391, Fyans' Itineraries 1844, Jan - Jun 1846; and Returns of population and livestock, Jan 1844 - Jan 1846 at [X690-91], Reel 2756
Wellington
Lawrence Vance Dulhunty, 17-30 Sep 1839 [X813], Reel 2748
William Colburn Mayne, 15 Dec 1846 - 17 Apr 1847, 9 Sep 1847 - 8 Sep 1848 [X817], Reel 2748
William Henry Wright, 28 Aug - 13 Nov 1843, 10 Apr 1844 - 26 Jan 1846 [X818], Reel 2749
John James Allman, 20 Jul - 3 Aug 1840 [4/10803.1]
Western Port (Victoria)
Frederick Armand Powlett, 1 Feb - 31 Jul 1842, 1 Jan 1844 - 28 Feb 1846 [X817] Reel 2748
Historical Background
There was some unauthorised occupation of Crown land from the earliest days of the colony. Governor Darling created what is known as the 'limits of location', creating two areas within the colony by a Government Order on 5 September 1826. Settlers were only allowed to take up land within the ‘limits’. A further Government Order on 14 October 1829 increased this area of approved settlement to include an area called the Nineteen Counties.
In 1833, in responses to extensive unauthorised occupation of Crown lands, ‘an Act for protecting the Crown Lands of the Colony from Encroachment, Intrusion and Trespass’ was passed. The Act authorised the Governor to appoint Commissioners of Crown lands. Although 13 Commissioners were appointed between the passing of the 1833 Act and the official extension of grazing to areas beyond the 19 counties, none were appointed in a full-time capacity.
As the 1833 Act appears to have had little or no impact on the unauthorised occupation of Crown Land and it was impossible to prevent the expansion of the squatters, Governor Bourke sought to legalise and regulate squatting through further legislation in 1836. The regulations consequent to the 1836 Act included issuing licences to settlers to depasture their stock on the vacant Crown lands beyond the limits of location, on application to the Colonial Secretary.
The 1836 Act also provided for the appointment of full-time Commissioners of Crown Lands to the districts beyond the limits of location. The Commissioners were required to report on the inspections they carried out in their land district.
Description of the records
The Commissioners of Crown Lands Itineraries and half-yearly returns provide a record of the inspections they carried out. The Itineraries were sent to the Colonial Secretary until the late 1840s, along with other returns, many of which are located in the annual bundles of ‘Commissioners of Crown Lands’ within the Colonial Secretary’s letters received. The itineraries have been extracted and bound separately.
Each itinerary records: the Commissioner’s name and district; the extent of each day’s journey – date, from, to, number of miles; name of each station visited; licencees; superintendents; number of residents; nature of the buildings on each station; number of acres in cultivation; stock – cattle, horses, sheep; if a dairy, estimated annual produce in butter and cheese; estimated extent of run commanded by each station; general quality of the soil and herbage [vegetation]; how watered; how wooded; distance from nearest adjoining station; and any additional remarks.
The half-yearly returns of population and livestock show names of station, owner and superintendent; extent and area of run; how watered; number of free and bonded persons on run; number of horses, cows and sheep; and amount of assessment.
What you will find in the index
The index records the following: name of the licencee, name of the Superintendent and others on the property at the time (the remarks column lists other names), station name (sometimes this is the name of the locality), date, description (this is the title of the record ie "Itinerary of John James Allman, Counties of Bathurst & Wellington" [Commissioner of Crown Lands), and record citation.
Related records
- NRS 14363
- NRS 14364
- NRS 907
- NRS 944
- NRS 958
- Letters sent by the various Commissioners of Crown Lands (browse the catalogue for details).
Acknowledgment
This index was compiled by Mrs Kaye Vernon and Mrs Billie Jacobson (their website is www.teapotgenealogy.com). The index is published on State Records' website with the permission of Mrs Vernon and Mrs Jacobson, who also retain the copyright. State Records wishes to acknowledge the contribution of Mrs Vernon and Mrs Jacobson in compiling this index.