{"id":"tas:act-1865-029","name":"Glebe Lands Act 1865","slug":"glebe-lands-act-1865","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"tas","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"29 of 1865","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":110959,"registerId":"tas-act-1865-029-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Short title","content":"### 1 Short title\n\n> This Act may be cited as the [Glebe Lands Act 1865](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-9999-999) .","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Bishop may sell Glebe, and receive proceeds, &c.","content":"### 2 Bishop may sell Glebe, and receive proceeds, &c.\n\n> It shall be lawful for the Lord Bishop of Tasmania, with the approval of the Synod, to sell the said land or any part thereof, upon such terms and in such manner as he deems right, and to convey the same to the purchaser or purchasers thereof, and to receive and give discharges for the proceeds arising from any such sale.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Bishop may mortgage Glebe","content":"### 3 Bishop may mortgage Glebe\n\n> It shall be lawful for the Lord Bishop and his successors, with the approval of the Synod, to mortgage the said land or any part thereof for such sum or sums of money as he may think fit.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Proceeds to be applied to erection or purchase of Bishop's residence","content":"### 4 Proceeds to be applied to erection or purchase of Bishop's residence\n\n> The proceeds which may arise from the sale or mortgage of the said land or any part thereof shall be applied in or towards the erection or purchase, or partly in or towards the erection and partly in or towards the purchase, of a suitable residence for the said Lord Bishop and his successors and not otherwise.","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: enabling the Tasmanian Bishop to deal with specific Glebe lands to fund episcopal housing. There is no evidence of scope creep or expansion beyond this narrow historical purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Only 4 sections total","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation","Simple conditional logic (approval required from Synod)","Single purpose legislation with clear restrictions","Straightforward 19th-century drafting style with minimal legal machinery"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis short law from 1865 gives the Anglican Bishop of Tasmania special powers over a specific piece of church land called \"the Glebe\" (historically, land set aside to support a church minister).\n\n**Specifically, it allows the Bishop to:**\n- **Sell** the Glebe land (or parts of it), with approval from the Synod (the church's governing council)\n- **Mortgage** the land to borrow money, also with Synod approval\n- **Use the money** only for one purpose: buying or building a house for the Bishop\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania and future Bishops\n- The church's Synod (which must approve any deals)\n- Anyone buying or lending money against this specific land\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis was a practical solution to a 19th-century problem. Church \"glebe\" lands were traditionally meant to generate income for clergy, but this Act let the Tasmanian Bishop convert that land into cash to solve a housing problem instead. It's a narrow, historical piece of legislation that still sits on the books, though its practical relevance today would depend on whether the land still exists and whether the church still uses it this way."},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The original scope in 1865 would have been practically significant — glebe lands were a real and active part of colonial church administration and clergy funding. Over 160 years, that scope has dramatically narrowed. The separation of church and state, changes to how clergy are compensated, and the likely sale or transfer of most original glebe lands means the Act now operates (if at all) on a very small residual set of properties or title questions. What was once a broadly applicable land administration law is now effectively a historical curiosity with minimal real-world operation."},"complexity_factors":["Historical colonial-era legal language and concepts that are largely obsolete","Intersection of ecclesiastical (church) law and property law — two distinct legal domains","Limited available text makes full analysis difficult — the substance of the Act's operative provisions is not reproduced here","Determining which, if any, provisions remain practically operative requires tracing amendments over 160+ years","Concept of 'glebe lands' is archaic and unfamiliar to modern readers, requiring contextual knowledge"],"plain_english_summary":"A very old Tasmanian statute governing “glebe lands” — parcels set aside to support Church of England clergy — and how those church-associated lands could be managed, sold, leased or transferred. It mainly matters to the Anglican Church, government land administrators and lawyers or historians resolving historic title or property issues. Practically it’s a colonial-era relic with little day‑to‑day impact today, but it can be important where old land titles depend on its rules."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act confines powers to sell or mortgage specified glebe land and requires all proceeds be used only for a bishop's residence. There is no expansion beyond those narrowly defined powers and purpose; the scope remains focused on converting that land asset into capital for episcopal housing subject to Synod approval."},"complexity_factors":["Very narrow subject matter (single asset class and purpose).","Straightforward operative powers to sell or mortgage (low statutory complexity).","Mandatory Synod approval introduces an institutional decision step and potential internal governance variability.","Strict earmarking of proceeds creates a single-purpose constraint requiring tracking/compliance.","Interacts with general property law and mortgage mechanics outside the Act (practical complexity).","Old drafting uses terms like 'the said land' and 'successors' that may require historical or contextual interpretation."],"plain_english_summary":"This law lets the Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, with the Synod's approval, sell or mortgage designated church (glebe) land and receive the money. All proceeds must be applied only to buying or building a suitable residence for the bishop and successors. Who decides: the Bishop together with the Synod; who pays: buyers or lenders. Mechanically, it converts a land asset into capital but strictly earmarks those funds for episcopal housing and requires institutional approval."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/glebe-lands-act-1865","history":"/api/acts/glebe-lands-act-1865/history","analysis":"/api/acts/glebe-lands-act-1865/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/glebe-lands-act-1865/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/glebe-lands-act-1865/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/glebe-lands-act-1865/documents"}}