The Minister for Lands, also called the Secretary for Lands was responsible for one of the key issues for the colonial administration of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, being the contest between

squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...

and selectors to dispossess the

Aboriginal people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

of their land.

Role and responsibilities

The land issue dominated the politics of the late 1850s, and in October 1859, towards the end of the second Cowper ministry, the Secretary for Public Works was split off from the Secretary for Lands and Works. This enabled John Robertson to concentrate on what became known as the

Robertson Land Acts The Crown Lands Acts 1861 (NSW) (or Robertson Land Acts) were introduced by the New South Wales Premier, John Robertson, in 1861 to reform land holdings in New South Wales and in particular to break the Squattocracy's domination of land tenure. ...

. The Cowper ministry fell at the end of October 1859, replaced by the short lived

Forster ministry The Forster ministry was the fifth ministry of the New South Wales, Colony of New South Wales, and was led by William Forster (Australian politician), William Forster. Forster was elected in the first free elections for the New South Wales Legi ...

. Robertson formed his first ministry in March 1860. While the four previous

Premiers Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

held the office of Colonial Secretary, Robertson chose to be Secretary for Lands. The main work of the department at this time was processing the selection claims, including the various commissioners for Crown Lands and the necessary survey work under the Surveyor General. The minister had numerous other responsibilities, including immigration until 1869, mining until 1874 and forestry until 1908. In the

Holman Nationalist ministry Holman may refer to: People * Holman (surname), including people with the name * Holman (given name), a list of people with the name Places United States * Holman, Missouri, a former town * Holman, Texas, a settlement * Holman, Washington, a s ...

from November 1916 William Ashford held the portfolios of Secretary for Lands and

Minister for Forests Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

and it became increasingly common for the minister to hold the portfolio along with other portfolios. In 1981 the Department of lands was temporarily amalgamated with the Department of Local Government, with the minister Lin Gordon holding both portfolios, until the departments were separated again in February 1984. The portfolio of Minister for Lands was abolished in April 1984 and replaced by the Minister for Natural Resources whose responsibilities included waterways, reserves and parks, forestry. The porfolio was briefly re-established in 1986, 1990 and 2004.

List of Secretaries and Ministers for Lands

Former ministerial titles

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lands Defunct government positions of New South Wales