Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
Pastoralists were also known as squatters. They held pastoral runs illegally or under license.
Governor Darling of the colony of New South Wales 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; this included Sydney and the settled area surrounding it.
Governor Bourke of the colony of New South Wales sought to legalise and regulate squatting through 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.
Also see Pastoral Run Plans under Plans.
Also see Historic Plan Collection under Plans.
NEW SOUTH WALES STATE ARCHIVES AND RECORDS - SQUATTERS AND GRAZIERS INDEX 1837-1849 (NRS 906, NRS 1391)
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.
ANCESTRY - NEW SOUTH NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, DEPASTURING LICENSES, 1837-1846
These records are provided in association with State Records Authority of NSW. This is a collection of depasturing licenses for individual squatters from the government of New South Wales. The licenses permitted settlers to graze stock on Crown lands. They allowed grazing to happen beyond the limits of location (the 19 counties that included Sydney and the settled area surrounding it) and were renewable and good for one year.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=1790
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, SELECTED TRIAL BRIEF AND CORRESPONDENCE REGISTERS AND OTHER IMAGES, 1837-1993
These are provided by Public Record Office Victoria. These records are not indexed but can be browsed by description and range. They are:
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=60672
PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS DATABASE - OCCUPANTS OF CROWN LANDS 1853
The database is searchable.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1853-54NoC4.pdf
PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS DATABASE - CROWN LAND LICENSES 1856
The database is searchable.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1855-56NoC36.pdf
FINDMYPAST - CROWN LAND LICENCES VICTORIA 1851-1855
It lists the occupants of crown land licenses for the years 1851 to 1855. It is arranged by district, including: Gippsland, Murray, Portland Bay, Western Port and Wimmera. They are taken from publications presented to Parliament in 1853 and 1856. This is searchable by name.
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/crown-land-licences-victoria
Lists of pastoral runs appear in government gazettes. See Government Gazettes.
Lists of pastoral runs appear in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES - MARION BUTTON DEPASTURING LICENCES INDEX 1840-1851
These are extracted from Port Phillip Herald and The Argus.
https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection
Also see Directories.
FINDMYPAST - GLANCE AT AUSTRALIA IN 1880: EMBRACING A SQUATTERS AND FARMERS DIRECTORY OF THE WHOLE OF AUSTRALIA
This is under “Australia Directories”. It is searchable.
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/australia-directories
ANCESTRY - AUSTRALIA, PASTORAL DIRECTORIES, 1913-1954
The collection includes the editions for the years 1913, 1923, 1925, 1931, 1939 and 1954. These list stockowners in Australia. The lists for Victoria include name of owner and address. They may be browsed and they are searchable by name.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=60796
FINDMYPAST - AUSTRALIAN PASTORAL DIRECTORIES
The collection includes the editions for the years 1913, 1923, 1925, 1931 and 1954.These list stockowners in Australia. The listings for Victoria include name and address of stockowners. These are searchable by name.
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/australian-pastoral-directories
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