Miner's Right

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The Miner's Right was introduced in 1855 in the colony of Victoria, replacing the Miner's Licence. Protests in 1853 at Bendigo with the formation of the Anti-Gold Licence Association and the rebellion of Eureka Stockade 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. [1]

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 as of July 2024 is $27.80 for 10 years. [2]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Eureka Rebellion</span>

The following is a comprehensive timeline of the Eureka Rebellion.

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White nationalists in Australia recall the Eureka Rebellion and the eventual implementation of Victoria's Chinese poll tax in 1855 as a milestone in the formation of the 1901 Immigration Restriction Act that enshrined the White Australia Policy of the 20th century. The Eureka Flag is often featured on bumper stickers with white nationalist political slogans, and the Australia First Party has incorporated it into their official logo. Many, including Peter FitzSimons, have criticised such use by "those who ludicrously brandish it as a symbol of white Australia". However, the Lambing Flat banner that features the Southern Cross superimposed over a Saint Andrew's cross with the inscription "ROLL UP. ROLL UP. NO CHINESE". It has been claimed that the banner, which served as an advertisement for a public meeting held prior to the Lambing Flat riots, was inspired by the Eureka Flag. Nationalists have also maintained an oral tradition where the Eureka Flag was seen again on display outside NSW parliament house in 1878 at a protest brought about by the use of Chinese labour on ships at Circular Quay. Another flag similar to the Eureka Flag was seen prominently flown over a camp during the 1894 Australian shearers' strike at Barcaldine, Queensland.

References

  1. Bate, Weston (1978). Lucky City: The First Generation at Ballarat: 1851 - 1901. Carlton, Victoria, Australia: Melbourne University Press. p. 91. ISBN   0-522-84157-0.
  2. Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions. "Recreational fossicking". Earth Resources. Retrieved 1 January 2025.