VPRS 22435 Mining Warden's Register of Applications for Mining Leases, Omeo Mining Division II

Full description

This series consists of a volume of applications for mining leases in Omeo mining division of the Gippsland Mining District (VA 3804).

In their administrative role Mining Wardens were required to receive and register applications for various mining leases and licences in their area. The types of lease and licence applications which could have been registered include:

*           Gold Mining Leases (often known simply as Mining Leases) from 1859
*           Mineral Leases from 1861
*           Mineral Search Licences from 1862
*           Gold Mining Leases on Reserved Land from 1873
*           Private Property Leases from 1885
*           Tailings Licences from 1897
*           Petroleum Prospecting Licences from 1935
*           Petroleum Mineral Leases from 1935.

It is not certain that all of these types of lease or licence were registered by the Wardens.

To 1915 lease or licence applications were submitted firstly to the District Warden and then forwarded to the Mines Department in Melbourne. From 1915 applications were required to be submitted direct to the Department and from there were forwarded to the Warden.

This series is an instance of a register which documented applications initially received by the Department and then submitted to the Omeo Mining Warden.For this reason it has been identified as a separate to series to VPRS 22437, which contains the register of applications received directly by the Warden.

The specifically printed volume to be used in such instances was not used. Instead the Omeo Mining Division Warden, adapted an unused register of tribute agreements for the purposes. As that register did not contain all of the entries required to be included in the register of applications, the warden retained the copy of the application itself which included the additional required detail.

This register was in the custody of the Omeo Historical Society before its transfer to PROV. It was originally attributed to Omeo Courts but this has since been amended to the Gippsland Mining District.