Sheep, Squatters, and the Evolution of Land Rights in Australia: 1787-1847

Abstract

"This paper focuses on the events triggered by the British colonial office's 1829 decision to restrict the area of settlement and its 1831 decision requiring the government to allocate land to settlers at an auction with a 'high' upset price. The British government's policy of concentrated land settlement was mirrored by similar land policies adopted by the United States federal government during the nineteenth century. Restrictions on the development of new economic activity are particularly interesting to explore, as government are more often known for subsidizing infant industries. The analysis focuses on the economic and demographic factors inducing institutional change, yet also incorporates other important influences, such as Britain's changing goals for the colony, the intellectual presence of the colonial reformers, and the much admired land settlement laws of the United States."