SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
A miner’s right authorises the holder to prospect for any metal, mineral, coal, or oil, the property of the Crown; under a gold claim of 20 acres, a mineral claim not exceeding 40 acres, and a coal or oil claim, 640 acres. Ownership of claim confers the right to reside thereon, and preferential right to a lease.
The dimensions of a gold claim are for an ordinary reef claim, 100 by 600 feet, and an ordinary alluvial claim 30 by 30 feet, with a labour condition requiring one man to be kept employed. A mineral claim of 40 acres requires two men; coal and oil claims (640 acres) require eight men. A business licence (quarter acre in township, and one acre on other land) costs 10s. for six months and £1 for one year. Occupation licence (half acre), 2s. per annum, term fourteen years. A person may hold any number of claims (except alluvial claims, of which only one can be held at one time), but for each claim must hold a miner’s right.
Gold leases not exceeding 20 acres, term forty-two years, rent 1s. per acre and 6d. in the pound on net profits; labour, one man to every 5 acres. Mineral leases not exceeding 40 acres, term forty-two years, rent 1s. per acre, and 6d. in the pound on net profits; labour, one man to every 10 acres. Coal and oil leases (640 acres), term forty-two years, rent 6d. per acre until coal or oil is found in payable quantities, then 1s. per acre; labour, one man for every 40 acres. Miscellaneous lease for salt and gypsum, 40 acres; mineral springs, 20 acres, and smelting works’ site, 5 acres, term forty-two years; labour for salt and gypsum and mineral springs, two men for each 40 acres.
Any number of leases may be held, but a miner’s right for each is required. All claims must be constantly worked, and must be registered within thirty days after being pegged out.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
On April 17, 1884, amended Mining Regulations were issued, empowering the Governor to proclaim any portion of Crown land to be a gold-field, and to appoint Wardens, who could grant miner’s rights to any person upon payment of £1 per year, authorising the holder to search and mine for gold on any waste land upon registering the occupation of the claim with the Warden or other duly appointed officer.
Alluvial ordinary claims to comprise an area of 16 by 16 yards for one person, ordinary river and steam claims to have a frontage of 20 yards on the course of the river or stream, and a depth of 50 yards on both banks; ordinary quartz claims not to exceed 50 feet in length on the supposed course of the reef by a width not exceeding 400 feet. Any ground taken up for mining and unoccupied and unworked for ten days to be considered as abandoned.
On October 1, 1886, “Regulations for the Management of Gold-fields” came into operation, dealing with the conditions under which a miner desirous of prospecting may mark off and hold a protection area; also as regards alluvial claims, and the rewards to be had for discoveries of new gold-fields.