The evolution of boundaries in Van Diemen's Land
Using original historical sources wherever possible, this paper examines the evolution of boundaries within Van Diemen’s Land (now called Tasmania) during the first decades of British colonisation. The discovery of Bass’s Strait in 1798 had set the geographical limits of the island and hastened its settlement by the British. Early British boundaries include: (1) the 42nd parallel which split the island into two counties from 1804 and (2) the territorial limits of the island proclaimed in 1825. Theories, both past and present, on the evolution and different types of boundaries are outlined. The two boundaries are then examined using the stages suggested by Lapradelle (1928) and Jones (1945). The type of boundary assigned is set in the historical, political and geographical context of the time. The role of surveyors within the evolutionary process is examined. Consequences of these early boundaries for later generations are postulated.