A Land Fit for Heroes?

Frank Stevens had a small block of land of 28 acres, near Windsor on which he wanted to raise pigs and poultry. The land was in the County of Cumberland, and the Parish of Pitt Town, Windsor Land District.  Improvements consisted of a 3BR Weather Board and iron cottage with about three acres cleared and six acres partly cleared.  There was a small orchard of 120 lemon and mandarin trees.[1]  Stevens applied for an advance of £100 in April 1921.[2] Stevens became quite incensed when he was asked if he was the bankrupt Frank Stephens –

 kindly note the difference in the spelling which apparently through lack of efficiency has been overlooked.  Also my regimental number is 1072 and if your department was conducted properly then (there) should have been no need for any mistake.[3]

 There were problems however as the holding was in the name of Robina Eileen Weaver and not in his own name .  Therefore ‘before an advance could be considered it had to be registered in his name’.[4]

 By 1923, Frank Stevens applied for land in the irrigation area.  It is unclear from the file if he was successful in this, although up to that date had not received any money in the form of an advance.[5]

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files,  [12/7241 No. 7358], Frank Hallet Stevens, RSS Branch office Memorandum 31 May 19?

[2] Ibid, Report from Chief Inspector April 1921.

[3] Ibid, Frank Hallet Stevens to possibly the Under-Secretary 12 May 1921.

[4] Ibid, A.A. Watson to F. H Stevens 13 May 1921.

[5] Ibid, Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission 12 April 1923.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW:  Lands Department;  NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files;  [12/7241 No. 7358], Frank Hallet Stevens.

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Frank Hallet Stevens), online: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1922327