THE GENESIS OF THE STATION 61 



the circumstances were adverse. Only such rewards 

 as are attached to personal ownership would have 

 induced them to cultivate their patches in spite of 

 such discouragements.* 



This period of the gratuitous concession of lands 

 lasted till well on in the twenties. Hesitatingly entered 

 upon by Governor Philhps, who doubted his power to 

 grant such lands, but was assured of it by the Secre- 

 tary of State after he had left the Colony, and con- 

 tinued by his successors, it may be considered to have 

 lasted till some years after the arrival of Governor 

 Darling. Under it all Governors, from Phillip to 

 Darling, were empowered to make grants of Crown lands 

 to individuals. Specific regulations seemed to limit 

 them, but in reality they exercised their personal 

 judgment without any limitations. As a consequence, 

 Dr. Lang informs us, " charges of partiality or of 

 injustice were urged against the Governors of the 

 Colony without intermission." To make an end of 

 such abuses. Governor Darling in 1825 instituted a 

 Land Board and issued regulations for the granting of 

 land. It was to be granted in proportion to the means 

 or the property of the applicant, and even then only 

 if there was reason to believe that the recipient was able 



* A pamphlet in the Mitchell Library gives a corrected list 

 of landholders in New South Wales till 1813. They number 

 from 600 to 650, and hold possibly less than 100,000 acres of 

 land. About two dozen of them were granted from 1,000 to 

 3,000 acres. Governor Bligh granted more than 3,000 acres to 

 the wife and children of the retiring Governor King. He himself 

 ■was granted, possibly by Governor Macquarie, 1,000 acres. It 

 is often stated that the military officers scooped large slices of 

 the public estate, and Captain McAi'thur was given 5,625 acres, 

 while Colonel Foveaux received 1,770 acres and Major Johnston 

 (if it is he who figures under the name of Johnson) 2,000 acres, 

 but few other officers appear for large amounts. Some of the 

 civilian officers comfortably feathered their nests. D'Arcy 

 Wentworth always knew how to look after " number one," and 

 he was successively granted 880, 1,900, and 100 acres, in all, 

 2,880 acres. The pastors of the flock were almost equally 

 Bolicitous for their own interests. Johnson, first chaplain, 

 received 600 acres, and Samuel Marsden 1,230. 



