It is named for Henry Strangways, who was premier and attorney-general when the legislation was passed, and had previously been the Minister for Crown Lands.
A system of crown leases was established to provide some level of tenure to the pastoralists and income to the government from these lands.
However it did create for the first time a different relationship between Government and farmer: while annual licences to cultivate land were not new, the long-term landlord/tenant relationship, the opportunity to purchase by deferred payment, and the government control over the use that farmers made of the land, were new to the colony.
[6][7] There was an increasing demand for more land to be available for farmers to clear of scrub for the purpose of more intensive agriculture such as growing grain crops and mixed farming.
[7] However large areas of South Australia were not suited for smaller landholdings and closer settlements; droughts and poor seasons could lead to ruin of the farmers where land blocks were too small.
[7] The invention of the stump jump plough in 1876 has been attributed to the difficulties encountered by the farmers having to clear the mallee under both of these acts.