Author Archives: dashea2014
Martial Law – Van Diemen’s Land 1828-1832
Background Colonial correspondence from the Colonial Office to the first four Lieutenant Governors in Van Diemen’s Land (Collins, Davey, Sorell and Arthur) stressed the need to conciliate with the native population of Van Diemen’s Land. A letter to Collins stated … Continue reading
Posted in Martial Law, Tasmanian legislation
Tagged Black Line, George Robinson, terra nullius
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May 1824 – December 1825
Prior to Arthur being appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land in 1823, he had been Superintendent and Commandant in British Honduras for around eight years. Throughout his time in Honduras the territory was under the vice-regency of the … Continue reading
June-October 1837
From 1826 to 1948 regnal years were used as part of the numbering system for Van Diemen’s Land/Tasmanian Statutes. A regnal year is a year of the reign of an English sovereign, with the first day of the first year … Continue reading
Transportation
Two notable features in the 17th and 18th centuries in England were the severity of the criminal justice system (resulting in overcrowded prisons) and the development of overseas colonies (with a consequent demand for labourers). Transportation to “distant lands” was … Continue reading
Posted in Imperial legislation, Penal Colonies
Tagged Convict labour, Penal Colonies, Sir William Molesworth
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VDL Statutes 1830 already in TAHO collection
A search in Enrolments of Acts of Council (Series SC202) at the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office has identified 14 original copies of VDL Statutes for the year 1830 that have already been transferred to TAHO: SC202/1/1 – 10 Geo … Continue reading
Posted in Archiving Project, Handwritten Acts
Tagged Acts Custody Act 1858, TAHO Series SC202/1
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Statutes for the years 1832-1836
In 1832 Lieutenant Governor Arthur was finally able to begin sorting out problems relating to land grants in the Colony. Alfred Stephen had first questioned the validity of land titles in 1828 pointing out that all grants in New South … Continue reading
Posted in Tasmanian legislation, VDL Statutes
Tagged Land grants, Postal service, Public works
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Missing Acts
The Acts Custody Act 1858, passed some three years after the name change for the Colony of Van Diemen’s Land to Tasmania, made provision for the custody of all the Acts of the Legislature of Tasmania. Section 1 of the … Continue reading
Original copies 1826-1851
The first step towards an independent law-making governing body for Van Diemen’s Land was the separation of the Island dependency from the Colony of New South Wales. On 17 July 1825 King George IV had signed a warrant (issued under … Continue reading
Statutes for the years 1826-1831
From 1803 to 1825 Van Diemen’s Land was a dependency of the Colony of New South Wales. A succession of Lieutenant Governors and Commandants used General and Garrison Orders to maintain law and order at a local level. Local Justices … Continue reading
Imperial legislation relating to the Charters of Justice in 1823 and 1831
An Act for the Administration of Justice in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land, 1823 (4 Geo IV c 96) repealed An Act Constituting a Court of Criminal Judicature in New South Wales, 1787 (27 Geo III c 2). … Continue reading
