Land System of Queensland.

(By W. C. Humk, Esq., Under Secretary for Public Lands in that Colony.)

The several Acts of Parliament under which alienation of the Crown lands was secured have been repealed by "The Crown Lands Act of 1884," and the sale by auction of country Crown lands is abolished.

The administration of the Act is entrusted mainly to a "Land Board" specially constituted for the purpose, who from time to time hold public courts throughout the colony, at which all matters relating to inquiry, appeal, decision, costs, &c., are page 16 determined; and any person aggrieved by a decision of the Board has a right to appeal to the Supreme Court

For the purposes of this Act the colony is divided into two parts by an irregular line, starting about latitude 28° S., longitude 142° E., on the borders of New South Wales and South Australia; thence northerly in a north-easterly direction to within thirty miles of the coast, at 16° south latitude; and thence continuing round the whole peninsula., at a distance of about thirty miles from the sea, till it strikes the west boundary at thirty miles from the Gulf of Carpentaria, as described in Schedule 1 of the Act. That part between such line and the sea-coast is available, under the provisions of the Act, for agricultural and pastoral settlement. At the same time, a lessee beyond the limits just described may, if he think proper, come under the operation of the Act, and take advantage of the benefits derived therefrom.

Pastoral lessees, within the Schedule, who have brought their runs under the Act, receive a new lease for ten or fifteen years for a portion of their runs, estimated by the Board, according to rules laid down in the Act, at rents varying between 10s. and 90s. per square mile of available country.

In cases where lessees are holders of two or more conterminous runs, the entire holding is considered as consolidated, and treated as one block; and where the portion resumed by the Government is not required for immediate settlement, the pastoral lessee may continue to depasture his stock thereon (until the lands are disposed of). The rent payable for such grazing right is determined by the Land Board, but must not exceed that previously paid under the surrender pastoral lease. This rental will be subject to reductions if any of the country is required for selection. Unavailable country, on the resumed half for which a grazing right is granted, will also be allowed for as on the leased half.