I hope I am not diverting off topic too far, and clearly I cannot comment effectively on research on Victoria
But Victoria was not hived off NSW until 1851, and it took on much of the statute law, regulations and practices of NSW 'for the time being' ....
So, I mention that I recall an in depth investigation into the status of some of those named on the Assessment books for the City of Sydney in the 1840s (commencement of the municipality) which will show that some of those who were recorded as paying the rates in respect of the property being assessed were NOT the property owners, NOR the landlords, but simply the 'Boarders' (of course, property owners did pay rates on some properties, and of course their agents - the landlords did pay rates on certain properties) Boarder being the expression used not on the actual assessment register but on exchange of communications between Council and the individual paying the rates ... it may well be a peculiar meaning of the word applied around that time, perhaps in error or through ignorance of the meaning of the word, but by paying the rates the male person became eligible to be enrolled to vote.
This practice continued until at least the late 1850s (1858 from memory) when male universal suffrage was effectively adopted in NSW elections, plurality of voting still existed in municipal elections.
Other NSW local government areas I have found 'Boarders' in the 1880s and 1890s, paying the rates, and usually when I follow up, they were the 'Tenants', handshake contract between them and the property owners.
Sorry for the diversion.
JM
