A Comparative Study of Historical Geography on Modern Rectangular Land Survey for Agriculture and Colonization

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A new colonial policy came to N.S.W. from London after the examination of Commissioner Bigg's Reports, to divide the whole territory into about 40 miles square "counties", about 100 square miles "hundreds" and about 25 square miles "parishes", and to set one mile square "sections" in 1825. The survey hierarchy of "county", "hundred", "parish" and one mile square "section" should have been carried out in all of the Australian colonies from 1825 to the 1850's, excepting South Australia during 1836-1842. But the process and result of land surveys in each colony were quite different from each other due to physical and social conditions, the characters of the Governor and Surveyor General, or some combination.N.S.W.; Sections, parishes, some hundreds, counties were laid out at any rate, but the rectangular land survey system itself was not successful and decided to be abandoned in 1855. The main reasons why it broke down were negative attitude of Surveyor General Mitchell and Oxley's rectangular land survey which was not accurate.Tasmania; Counties, hundreds and parishes were planned by 1829, but rectangular sections were not laid out because of physical features and thick forest as reported by Surveyor General Frankland in 1834.Western Australia; Long allotments were laid out, but one mile square sections, parishes and hundreds were not. Counties were planned but not implemented. Surveyor General Roe continued to explain the necessity of such land surveys to the colonial secretary to 1852.S.A.; Hundreds, counties were laid out nearly completely but parishes were not. Sizes of the rectangular allotments were quite different because of the systematic colonization for the foundation of the colony.Victoria; The survey hierarchy based on one mile square sections was most completely carried out except hundreds, under the Governors Bourke and Gipps of N.S.W. and Surveyor Hoddle. This situation was not significantly different in the colony of Victoria.