VPRS 707 Mining Registrar's Register Of Water Rights And Claims, Jamieson Mining Division

Full description

This series was created to record the receipt and outcome of applications for water right licences and mining claims.

Register of Water Rights

This part of the register was mainly concerned with the construction and use of water races and reservoirs on mining claims.

As with applications for mining leases, applications for water right licences were received by the Mining Registrar in each Mining Division and eventually forwarded to the Minister for Mines who advised the Governor-in-Council whether to approve the application.

The following information was usually recorded in the register:

- the number of the application (allocated by the Registrar)
- the date the application was received
- the name(s) and address(es) of the applicant(s)
- the nature of the application (including details such as whether the application was for a race or reservoir, the size of the reservoir and whether a water right licence would interfere with any other mining rights and operations)
- the amount of money which had been or was to be invested
- the proposed locality
- the term (ie length of time) of the licence and when operations were to commence
- the date the Mining Surveyor was instructed to survey the land, and
- details of the gazettal of the licence, if it was approved.

Registers of Water Rights were not necessarily created by every Divisional Mining Registrar. In a number of instances this information was recorded in the register of mining licenses.

Register of Claims

Under the mining by-laws the holder of a miners right was entitled to take up various claims. Each type of claim specified the nature of the mining activity which could be undertaken. The types of claims included:

- prospecting claims (along a reef)
- alluvial claims (for shallow sinking)
- tunnnelling claims
- sluicing and puddling claims
- water right or water race claim
- site for machinery
- site for a dam
- site for residence (to 1936).

Registers of Claims may be specific to a particular type of claim (eg. Register of Water Races, Register of Residence Areas) or may include a mixture of claims. In circumstances where claims were taken up by partnerships the Register of Claims will usually include a record of the agreed percentage of shares of each of the partners.

Registers of Claims will often include:

- number and date of claim
- name of holder or owner
- number of Miners Right and date of Miners Right
- particulars of the claim
- locality
- details of transfers or amalgamations of claims.