Western Division (New South Wales)
Legally, the state of New South Wales is divided into three divisions: the Eastern Division, the Central Division, and the Western Division. These were established for the purposes of the management of the lease of Crown land to private persons.
The Western Division includes Broken Hill, Bourke, Cobar, Cockburn, Walgett, Wentworth as well as the western land boards of Forbes, Griffith, Rankins Springs, West Wyalong, White Cliffs, Wyalong, Conargo, Hay and Parkes.
The Western Lands Act 1901 established a Western Lands Board, composed of three commissioners, to issue leases in the Western Division.
The Western Lands 1934 dissolved the Western Lands Board, and appointed a single Western Lands Commissioner in its stead, to carry out the same functions.
Today, the Western Lands Commissioner is part of the Department of Lands.
Most of the land in the Western Division of NSW remains perpetual leasehold; as such, the WLC retains an active function to this day in the administration of the leases.
