European convicts, military, and free settlers first settled in Tasmania's south in 1803. If your ancestors arrived at this time they are likely to have settled at Sullivan's Cove and to have been part of the development of Hobart Town. In the north, a settlement was established in 1804 at Port Dalrymple on the South Esk River. Launceston was named in 1807 as Port Dalrymple's main settlement, with the first land grants in the North of the State being granted in 1808. While the areas in the immediate vicinity of Hobart and Launceston were heavily settled by 1813, it was not until the 1820's that settlement reached more isolated parts of Tasmania. By 1823 European settlement had stretched from Hobart to Launceston.
Grants of land were given to free settlers, convicts whose sentences were completed, and military personnel. The Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office holds indexes for these early land grants which assist searching by name of grantee.
As a Deeds registry was not established in Tasmania until 1827, there are few property transaction records for this period. Early almanacs can be a source of information on where a person was living or working in Hobart, but the earliest available is 1825. In addition census householder returns can help find where an ancestor was living, as can assessment and valuation roles (showing occupiers and owners of properties) published in the Hobart Town Gazette from 1858.
For Deeds Registry records (1827-1862 registrations of land transactions) and records of the Land Titles Office (1862-current) contact the Tasmanian Lands Title Office.
LSD1-General correspondence, c 1822-1964. The earlier correspondence for this series includes applications for land grants, requests for surveys of land as well as other matters relating to the management and disposal of Crown Lands.
LSD378-Warrants issued by the Lieutenant-Governor instruction the Surveyor-General to locate and measure free grants, 1824-1834.
RD1-Deeds of Land Grants issued 1832-1935, also known as General Law Land Grant.
AD956-Index to Deeds of Land Grants 1832-1935.
Related links: Almanacs and directories | Census and musters
Listed here is a selection of further resources.
| Date range | Title | Resource type | ||
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| 1788-1809 | Land grants, 1788-1809: New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Van Diemen's Land / indexed by Keith A. Johnson & Malcolm R. Sainty |
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| 1788-1809 | Land grants, 1788-1809 / edited by R.J. Ryan |
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| 1792-1867 | [Selected land records for New South Wales, including registers and indexes of grants and leases, 1792-1867] / Colonial Secretary |
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| 1810-1850 | Land grants - miscellaneous papers re New South Wales and Tasmanian land grants, 1810-c.1850, from five sources in the Mitchell Library, Sydney |
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| Mid 19th C - | Conditional purchase in New South Wales / by Alice Jansen |
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