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Mining Acts and Regulations
With the discovery of gold, the Colonial Government had to hasten regulations to curtail and control the influx of miners to the ever expanding goldfields in the Colony, the 22 May 1851 saw the introduction of the Goldfield Proclamation effectively stating that all gold found in its natural place was the property of the Crown and anyone who continues to mine for gold on crown lands or lands not yet alienated will be prosecuted.
The following day, the
23rd May 1851 a regulation for
Licences to Dig for Gold and Search for Gold
was issued, this stated that from the 1st of June 1851 no person could procure gold from public or private lands by any means without first being in the possession of a Gold License. In the case of private lands only the proprietor or a representative of that person could be authorised to obtain a license. The Fee was fixed at £1/10/0 per month in advance and subject to future change.
Restrictions were placed on the persons who could obtain a license, proof of previous service or absence from hired service were a requirement. These may have included a convict who had restrictions placed upon their movements, or a person who was under a labour contract.
Further Regulations were issued on the Additional Gold Regulations included what gold could be procured from its natural state, it removed the procurement of gold from matrix within quartz or other rock in its primordial state, forthcoming Regulations would be published which would provide an arrangement for the procurement of the gold in matrix but in the interim a royalty would be paid on what had been obtained.
7 Oct 1851
Additional Gold Regulations
21 Oct 1851
Gold Regulations
Drainage of Ponds and Watecourses
21 Oct 1851
Gold Values
Value of Gold set when used to pay for Licence Fees
18 Nov 1851
Additional Gold Regulations
Licenses granted to dig for Gold on Private Lands
25 Nov 1851
Additional Gold Regulations
1. Termination of General Lease arrangements on Crown lands in favour of granting Licenses to Miners
2. Working of Quartz Veins
16 Jan 1852
Additional Gold Regulations
Areas conceded for Quartz vein mining not to include areas allocated for alluvial gold mining
5 Mar 1852
Reservoirs for Washing Gold
5 Mar 1852
Further Gold Regulations
2 Apr 1852
Gold Regulations, Amended Code of Regulations
13 Jul 1852
Gold Regulations
27 Jul 1852
Additional Gold Regulations
Combining operations on four or less Quartz claims
28 Dec 1852
1852 - An Act for regulating the Management of the Gold Fields of New South Wales and for raising a Revenue there from and for the preservation of order thereon. No.43
28 Sep 1853
1853 - Gold Fields Act
21 Oct 1854
An Act to continue the Acts for regulating the Management of the Gold Fields, No.19
19 Oct 1855
An Act further to continue for a limited time the "Act for regulating the Management of the Gold Fields." No.20
12 Feb 1857
An Act for granting a Duty upon Gold, No.17
11 Mar 1857
Gold Fields Management of 1857, No.29 - An Act to amend the Laws relating to the Gold Fields
22 Nov 1861
Gold Fields Act & Regulations of 1861, No.4 - An Act to amend the Laws relating to the Gold Fields. Gazetted 9 Feb 1862
12 Jun 1862
Gold Fields Act & Regulations of 1861 - Addendum to Section 41 of Gold Field Act No.4
13 Oct 1862
Gold Duties Reduction Act of 1862, No.5 - An Act to amend an Act intituled "An Act for granting a Duty upon Gold."
7 Apr 1866
Gold Fields Act Amendment Act of 1866, No.20 - An Act to amend the Gold Fields Act of 1861 commencing and take effect on the 1 May 1866
27 Sep 1866
Gold Fields Act of 1866, No.8 - An Act to amend the Laws relating to the Gold Fields
16 Apr 1874
Mining Act of 1874, No.13 - An Act to make better provision for the regulation of Mining, to take effect from 1 May 1874