George Young’s land at Lamplough

In 1859 or 1860  my husband’s great great grandfather, George Young (1826–1890), who had followed earlier Victorian gold rushes, moved to the new diggings at Lamplough, near Avoca. The Lamplough rush was one Victoria’s last great scrambles for gold. It was the very last for George, who settled on a block of land, became a small farmer, and died there thirty years later.

George’s wife Caroline née Clarke (c.1835-1879) and their two young children, John, born in August 1856 at Dunolly, and Alice, born in January 1859 at White Hills near Maryborough, moved with him to Lamplough. (A third child, George, had been born at Beechworth in 1854 but died there while still an infant.)

In July 1861 Caroline gave birth to twin girls, Charlotte and Harriet. Although the rush was petering out and miners were leaving, George and Caroline, burdened with four young children, stayed on. George took up ten acres of land, began farming, and continued to dig for gold.

Caroline died in December 1879 at the age of forty-three, leaving eight children, the youngest two just three years and one year old. Altogether she and George had thirteen children.

On 6 September 1873, George bought ten acres at Lamplough.

The Victorian 1869 Land Act, passed on 29 December 1869, was

designed to expand land ownership in Victoria. People could peg out a parcel of unsurveyed land and apply for a survey to be done. If the application was successful, the land could be held by licence for three years. At the end of this period, if conditions regarding improvement to the land had been met, the land could be purchased. As an alternative to immediate purchase, the balance of the cost of the land could be paid over a seven-year lease. (“Lucy: Glossary.” Online Exhibitions: Lucy’s Story: Lucy Bell. Public Records Office of Victoria, 26 Apr. 2006. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. <http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/online-exhibitions/lucy/glossary.htm>)

George Young had taken advantage of this legislation. He bought his block shortly only three years and nine months since the legislation had been passed.

On this plan, prepared when George Young was acquiring his second block of ten acres, it can be seen that the first block was acquired under section 42 of the 1865 Land Act.

George first leased the block, then, in 1884, he made an application to purchase it.

On 7 August 1877 George Young wrote to the Lands Office about his lease payments.

Lamplough August 7th, 1877

Sir

I herewith acknowledge receipt of circular of the 4th instant stating that it is intended to recommend that my licence for 10 Acres of land that I hold in the parish of Glenmona under the 49th Section of the land Act of 1869 be annulled for non payment of licence fee due on the 1st of November 1878. I can only say that there is an error somewhere, has I have paid the liscence fee at the time it was due and for which I hold the receipt signed by the land Officer at Avoca, said receipt is numbered 205 so that I suppose there’s a duplicate of it in the butt book from which it was taken, the land in question I have thoroughly enclosed three sides with a substantial upright fence of split timber let into ground about 20 inches, and about 5 feet high, the fourth side has a substantial three rail fence of split timber. I have also grubbed and cleared it of a deal of timber, and would have all or at least the greatest portion of it under cultivation but for sickness of self and loss of Horses. I do not reside on it but on my 42nd Section holding which adjoins it, On which I have about one Acre of a garden stocked with Fruit Trees & Vines, and the remainder has been cultivated. I can assure you that I hold the land bonafide has an assistance to living for self and family, and am at present using it to depasture a few Cows

I remain Sir
Your most Obedient Servant
George Young
Lamplough

The error was made by the Lands Office. George’s payment had not been posted correctly.

His application to purchase the block in 1884 includes his responses to Lands Office questions:

What purpose is the land used or occupied? Being a Miner and wishing to make a home for self and family I use the land as a grazing paddock wherein to keep my horse and sometimes a Cow or two
When did you commence residing upon the allotment, and have you resided thereon continuously?If not, why not? Has the land adjoins my purchased allotment upon which I have my residence, Gardens, Dam, and which I occasionally cultivate I could not reside upon it

The files of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey, especially his 1877 letter appealing the annulment of his lease, told me a great deal about George Young’s circumstances. He made it clear that he had paid his licence fees on time, that he was using his land in compliance with legislation requiring him to improve the leased land in order to acquire it at the end of the lease.

George Young comes across as a well-informed settler, a solid citizen, more than capable of holding up his end of a dispute with the Colonial bureaucracy.

I have been unable to find the file associated with the purchase of the first block of land. It is a pity as I learned much more about George and his life from the land files, building on the family history that I learned from the birth and death certificates of his children.

George Young died on 31 August 1890. Seven weeks before his death George transferred the land to his daughter Maria. She sold it a year later to Catherine Beavis. There is no probate file for George Young. He had probably arranged his affairs before his death and didn’t need to make a will.

This post was previously published at https://anneyoungau.wordpress.com/2014/02/19/george-youngs-land-at-lamplough/ and updated at https://anneyoungau.wordpress.com/2023/12/31/george-young-versus-the-department-of-crown-lands/

See also:

Denis Strangman, a descendant of one of the Lamplough miners who settled there near George Young, has written a history of the rush: Strangman, Denis. “The Gold Rush to Lamplough, near Avoca in Victoria, Australia, during 1859-1860.” Familia (Ulster Historical Foundation) 2.3 (1987): 3-21. Avoca and District Historical Society <https://avocahistory.net.au/article-the-gold-rush-to-lamplough-1859-1860/>.)

Lamplough Name Index compiled by Denis Strangman containing over 3,000 names