Western Division (New South Wales)

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 (NSW half), Walgett, Wentworth as well as the western land boards of Forbes, Griffith, Rankins Springs, West Wyalong, White Cliffs, Wyalong, Conargo, Hay and Parkes.

The Progressive See government appointed Colin James McMasters as chairman on a salary of £1,500 per year and Robert McDonald and Hugh Langwell as commissioners on a salary of £1,000 per year.

[2][3] In 1931 the Lang government appointed a Royal Commission to inquire into the administration of the Western Lands Division, including whether the then commissioners, Hugh Langwell, George Australia Denning and Arthur Willim Mullen were guilty of misbehaviour or incompetence.

[4] The commissioner, Ernest Arthur Prior, found that they had been negligent and incompetent,[5] and they were dismissed on the advice of cabinet.