The Miner's Right was introduced in 1855 in the colony of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, replacing the

Miner's Licence The miner's licence was the colonial government's response to the need to provide infrastructure including policing during the Australian gold rushes. The first Australian mining laws were enacted in 1851. A proclamation by Governor La Trobe, of ...

. Protests in 1853 at Bendigo with the formation of the

Anti-Gold Licence Association The Anti-Gold Licence Association, was formed in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia on 6 June 1853. The Association's protest became known as the Red Ribbon Rebellion, since at meetings in June and July thousands of miners gathered, wearing red ribbons ...

and the rebellion of

Eureka Stockade The Eureka Rebellion was a series of events involving gold miners who revolted against the British administration of the colony of Victoria, Australia during the Victorian gold rush. It culminated in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, which ...

in December 1854 at Ballarat led to reform of the system with a lower annual fee of five shillings for the right to mine gold, the right to vote, and the right to own land. Previously, the mining licence cost eight pounds a year. In Ballarat as at 1978 some houses were still held with the tenure associated with a miner's right. Other Australian colonies and New Zealand soon replaced the licensing system with Miner's Rights also. Miner's Rights are still sold in Victoria. A Miner's Right allows recreational fossickers to remove and keep minerals discovered on Crown Land, their own land or private land where the landowner has given permission within certain conditions. The cost is $25.20 for 10 years.

References

Museum of Victoria information (brief) with imagesAustralian Federal Government Eureka Stockade information
History of mining in Australia History of Australia (1851–1900) Legal history of Australia Mining law and governance {{Australia-law-stub