Unable to Procure Land

The Sydney Herald

16 September 1839

We are sorry to find that much difficulty and disappointment, with respect to procuring land, is experienced by many of the gentlemen, who, with their families, and bringing considerable capital with them, have lately arrived here with the intention of sitting down amongst us.

They all complain of being unable to procure land on which they can establish themselves. Land open for selection within the old limits of location is, they say, more refuse land, and situated at an almost hopeless distance front markets or water carriage; and in the only new district, that of Port Phillip, in which there is any chance of getting available lands, no land is offered for sale by the Government, nor can settlers have land in it put up for sale, on their application as in other districts. Hence they enquire, what are now comers to do?  

It behoves the Government to see to this. Do the Government not wish to sell the waste lands? If they do not, why do they encourage settlers to come here? It is cruel to induce gentlemen to leave their native land, and to come with their families to this distant corner of the earth, in the hope of being able to get available land at a reasonable price, and then to afford them no facilities, or give theme no opportunity, of getting land.

Why do the Government not allow settlers to have the lands they may select at Port Phillip put up for sale, as is allowed with respect to lands in other districts? Why, at all events, do not the Government offer for sale the lands that are already surveyed in the Port Phillip district, if there be any surveyed? And if there be not any surveyed, why do they not get them surveyed?

If the Government do not act with greater energy in this matter, and do not evince a greater desire to facilitate the views of new settlers, we foreses very clearly, that they will inflict a very serious injury on the colony, and deter emigrants of capital from coming amongst us; we would therefore call their especial attention to the subject.

Correspondent of Colonist.