Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1903-01-01 - 1975-12-31 (Creation)
- 1900-05-04 - 1987-12-31 (Accumulation)
Level of description
Medium
Format
Status
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Department of Lands and Surveys was one of the oldest government agencies in Western Australia, having been constituted under the name of the Survey Office in 1829. The Office became the Surveyor-General's Department in 1870 and was organized into two branches - Crown Lands and Surveys. The Department was administered by the Surveyor-General who also held the title of Commissioner of Crown Lands.
The Department was restyled the Crown Lands and Surveys Department in 1873 and, in 1890, the Department of Land and Surveys.
The Department of Lands and Surveys was responsible for the leasing and alienation of Crown Lands (except where mining and forestry tenures were involved*), the reservation of land for public purposes and roads, the surveying and classifying of land, and the exploration and mapping of the State. From its inception, the Department was also active in promoting immigration and settlement, and until 1973 was responsible for administering various Assisted Passage Immigration Schemes.
Immigration remained one of the functions of the Department until 1986, and the Department was responsible for the administration of the Noalimba Reception Centre.
Following a functional review, the Department was reorganized and renamed the Department of Land Administration in 1986.
- Initially, the Department was responsible for virtually all aspects of land administration, but with the establishment of the Department of Mines (1893) and the Forests Department (1919), it relinquished control of mining and forestry matters.
Repository
Archival history
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This series consists of 300 Chain Cancelled Public Plans of Western Australia. The scale is 300 chains to one inch and the plans are based on the Bonne Modified Conical Projection.
Before 1903, Public Plans of most of the areas covered by this series were drawn on sheets of the C, G, M, N and K collection of plans (see Record Series No. 979).
From 1903, sheets of the 300 Chain cadastral series were used as bases for the Public Plans.
Already in 1910, some of the Public Plans on 300 Chain sheets were cancelled to, and continued on sheets of the 80 Chain series. In the 1970's, the 300 Chain series began to be retired in favour of sheets constructed on the Universal Mercator projection, with sheet lines conforming to the Australian Map Grid.
The sheets are hand coloured and annotated on lithographic bases (app. 68cm x 101cm), linen backed. Later plans are drawn on acetate sheets.
The plans in this series are held at the State Records Office at consignment 4567.