The Miner's Right was introduced in 1855 in the colony of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, replacing the
Miner's Licence. Protests in 1853 at
Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2022, Bendigo has a popula ...
with the formation of the
Anti-Gold Licence Association 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, wh ...
in December 1854 at
Ballarat
Ballarat ( ) () is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Ballarat had a population of 111,973, making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australia and the third-largest city in Victoria.
Within mo ...
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 $27.80 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
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