Colonial Office Circular, 20 July 1830

COLONIAL OFFICE CIRCULAR

Information for the use of those who
may propose to embark as Settlers for
the new Settlement in Western Australia —

1st — It has at no time formed any part of the plan of His Majesty's Government to incur any expense in conveying Settlers to the New Colony on the Swan River — Government will not feel bound to defray the cost of supplying Provisions or other necessaries, to Settlers, after their arrival there, nor to assist their return to England nor their removal to any other place, should they be desirous of quitting that Colony —

2nd — Such persons as emigrate to the Swan River Settlement, and arrive there after the 31st of December 1830, will receive in the order of their arrival, allotments of Land proportioned to the Capital which they may have at command for the improvement of the Land, at the rate of 20 acres for every sum of £3 which they may be prepared to invest in such Improvement —

3rd — Under the head of investment of Capital will be considered at a fair rate of valuation, Stock of every description, all implements of husbandry and other article which may be applicable to the purposes of production industry, or which may be necessary to the establishment of the Settler on the Land, where he is to be located —

4th — Those who incur the expense of taking out labouring persons to this Colony will be entitled to land to the value of £15 that is to 100 acres for the passage of every such labourer, over and above any investment of other Capital — In the class of labouring Persons, are included Women and also Children above 12 years old. — They will further be allowed 30 acres for every child between the age of six and twelve —

5th — The licence to occupy will be given to the Settler on satisfactory proof being exhibited to the Lieutenant Governor (or other Officer administering the Local Government) of the amount of property as above specified which has been brought into the Colony to be invested — The proofs expected to be produced of the value of this property will be such vouchers of expenses as would be received in auditing Public Accounts. The Title to the Land in Fee Simple will not be granted however until the Settler has proved to the satisfaction of the Lieutenant Governor (or other officer administering the Local Government) that the sum required by article 2nd (viz. 3 shillings per acre) has been actually expended in some investment of the nature specified in article 3rd or has been laid out in the cultivation of the land, or on some other substantial improvement such as Buildings, Roads, or other Works of utility —

Any land thus alloted which shall not have been brought into Cultivation, or upon which, improvement shall not have been effected in some other manner to the satisfaction of the Local Government, within 2 years from the date of licence of occupation, shall at the end of that period, be liable to an annual payment into the Public Chest of the Settlement of one shilling per acre as Quit Rent, and at the expiration of another two years, so much of the whole grant as shall still remain in an uncultivated state or without such improvement being effected upon it as shall be satisfactory to the Local Government shall revert absolutely to the Crown or become liable to such additional Quit Rent as the Local Government may think fit to impose, reference being had to the value of the adjoining lands — But in cases where land so circumstanced is required for Roads, Canals, Quays or for any other public purpose, the Local Government will be at liberty to retain the land absolutely, in place of allowing it to revert to the original Grantee, on the condition of paying an additional Quit Rent —

COLONIAL OFFICE
20th July, 1830