Print Post Approved PP334385/00074 December 2004 150th ...The Eureka Echo is distributed to...

THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 1

Volume 23 No. 4 December 2004Print Post Approved PP334385/00074

The

In this Issue

The Official Journal of the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria 'PMAV'REG No A0000422H

“We swear

by the

Southern

Cross to

stand truly

by each other

and fight to

defend our

rights and

liberties”.

MESSAGE: EUREKA 150

I am delighted to have the opportunity to provide a message for this special edition of The Eureka Echo, the official journal of the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria, for the 150th anniversary of the Eureka rebellion. While the focus of the Eureka 150 events will be in Victoria and more specifically in Ballarat, there will be a range of activities involving Australians all around the country. As we reflect on our nation's heritage, we should also celebrate the traditions and values that identify us as Australians such as optimism; tolerance; perseverance and mateship; the importance of family and a fair go and our willingness to volunteer and to pull together in times of hardship and adversity. We are also renowned for our good sense, good will and hard work; and our sense of humour. Most of these qualities can readily be found in the story of the Eureka stockade. The events at Eureka 150 years ago played a part in the development of Australia. As a pioneer of democracy amongst free nations, Australia is one of the few countries to have been continuously democratic throughout the course of the twentieth century. This anniversary is an opportunity for the Australian community to learn more about this historical event. It is important that Australians are aware of and understand our nation' s past so that we are better equipped to determine our future.

(John Howard)

P R I M E M I N I S T E R

C A N B E R R A

Special edition to mark:

150th Anniversary of Eureka

Eureka articles by:

Professor Geoffrey Blainey,

Victorian Resources MinisterTheo Theophanous,

National Party ResourcesSpokesman Hon Peter Hall MP

Mike Nahan from theInstitute of Public Affairs

NQMA President Ralph De Lacey

Herald-Sun ColumnistAndrew Bolt

APLA President BobSheppard

and lots more...

THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004

Officers of the PMAV:President Rita Bentley (03) 9572 1578 BHVice President Jeff Douglas (03) 5475 1718Secretary Allan Rossiter (03) 5444 0470 AHTreasurer Geoff Strang (03) 9532 0868 AHCommittee Eric Grummett (03) 9729 1026

Tom Calvert (03) 5968 9210Bruce Brown 0407 806 981Don Brereton (03) 9714 8329Rex Motton [email protected] Wilks (03) 9720 3273

On Line Branch:Contact Steve Barnham [email protected]

(03) 5468 1405Central Victorian Branch (Maryborough):

Contact Tony Mills (03) 5461 3217(03) 5461 5067 Fax

East Gippsland Branch (Stratford):President Stephen Dingwall (03) 5147 1186 AH

(03) 5147 3285 FaxVice President Jim Harrap (03) 5144 6470 Secretary John Munn (03) 5143 0754Treasurer Martin Byrne (03) 5147 1618

South West Branch (Ballarat):President Keith Roberts (03) 5334 0302

0402 632 288 MobileVice President & Treasurer

Alan Troop (03) 5348 6617Secretary James Harrington (03) 5338 8786

West Gippsland Branch (Drouin):President Colin Johnson (03) 5623 5329Vice President Neil Reeves (03) 5623 1283Secretary/Treasurer

Doug Prestidge (03) 5160 1424North East Branch (Yackandandah):

President Jeff Kennett (02) 6027 3412Vice President Pat Wyatt (02) 6027 1137Secretary Bill Gleeson (03) 5744 1263 Treasurer Steve Newland (02) 6056 0753

Melbourne Branch:Contact Geoff Strang (03) 9532 0868 AH

(03) 9532 0868 FaxGrampians Branch:

Contact Andrew Overton 0409 357 153Small Miners Action Group:

Contact Jeff Douglas 0408 176 496 MobileRex Motton [email protected]

The postal address of the PMAV is:Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria Inc.GPO Box 1706P, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 Fax No: (03) 9572 1579 Email: [email protected]

General inquiry number: 0408 176 496The PMAV website is: www.pmav.asn.auAnd: http://groups.msn.com/PMAV

Deadline for next issue Month Published15th February 2005 March 2005

The Eureka Echo is distributed to prospectors, the mining industry,politicians and other individuals and organisations with an interest in assisting and promoting the mining and prospecting industries.

All editorial material in the Eureka Echo may be reproduced withoutpermission, however acknowledgments would be appreciated.

DisclaimerOpinions expressed are those of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Association.Persons acting on any opinion, advice, fact or advertisementpublished in this issue do so at their own risk. Wholly produced in AustraliaTo Advertise in the Eureka Echo, phone 0408 176 496

Presidents of the PMAV

1980 - 2004

Doug Kemsley

Chris Davey

Noel Laidlaw

Terry Croft

Bill Billinghurst

Ian Aitken

John Winter

Geoff Strang

Rita Bentley

Life Members of the PMAVLife membership of the PMAV is awarded only to those whohave been extraordinarily dedicated to the Association’s work.During our 24 years, we have awarded just four lifememberships. These were presented to:

Win Kemsley

Frank (Dick) Crimeen (dec.)

Fred G. Ward

John R. Winter (dec.)

Nominations for the 2004 John Winter Memorial Award

Kevin Hillier of Bendigo

Rob Bormann of Darnham

Geoff Strang of Mitcham (ineligible – current Committee Member)

To join the PMAV,

phone: 0408 176 496

or email: [email protected]

and ask for an application form.


by Rita Bentley, Echo Editor and PMAV President

Welcome to this special edition of the Eureka Echo whichhas been prepared to mark the 150th anniversary of theEureka Rebellion. True to its name, we hope you will findsome Echoes from that significant day in 1854 throughoutthis edition.

Many of our regular contributors have supplied articles forthis edition but we also have guest contributors who havewritten a few thoughts on the importance of Eureka fromtheir perspective. We are proud to have contributions fromPrime Minister John Howard, Professor Geoffrey Blainey,Hon. Theo Theophanous MP, Hon. Peter Hall MP, PeterLalor, Andrew Bolt, Mike Nahan, Richard Laufmann andour colleagues Bob Sheppard (APLA) and Ralph De Lacey(NQMC). Special acknowledgment is due to all branchpresidents who have put additional effort into their reportsthis time.

We have been fortunate to secure additional sponsorship forthis Echo from the Minerals & Petroleum Division of theDepartment of Primary Industries, Grant Street Take Away,The Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, The Gold Team MiningCompany, Sovereign Hill, Cordell & Kate Kent at the

Mining Exchange Gold Shop, Likely Prospects, AustralianEnvironmental Systems and The Ballarat Courier.

The best way to say thankyou to our sponsors is to givethem some business, except for DPI who would probablyjust like you to say thankyou!

Special acknowledgement and gratitude to our rafflesponsors too – Minelab for their generous donation of aGP3000, Coiltek for the detector coils, Miners Den for theGPS and The Perth Mint for the Eureka Coin.

We have printed 4,500 copies of this issue - 600 have goneto APLA in Western Australia and 300 to NQMA inQueensland.

My thanks to all those who have contributed time, effortand money to ensure that this issue and our other Eureka150 activities are a success.

This is a special time for all Australians but especially thoseof us who continue the tradition of prospecting andmining in Australia.

Remember ‘Eureka – The Legend Lives On’. It does sothrough us!

Welcome to Eureka Echo 150

by Geoffrey Blainey

Next to Gallipoli, Eureka is probably the most debatedmilitary event in our history. Of course it happened sixdecades before Gallipoli. Curiously, the leader of theEureka rebellion, Peter Lalor, lost a grandson at Gallipoli.

What happened? Ballarat in 1854 was one of the mostpopulous goldfields the world had seen. A metropolis oftents and huts and shops and hotels and churches, itwas pockmarked with mining holes and shafts, shallowand deep.

But the miners were hit by outdated regulations and taxes.Everybody had to buy an expensive licence, even if heearned no income. And the police who hunted for theunlicensed miners - they were not the salt of the earth.

In the end there were massive meetings of protest, thesymbolic burning of mining licences, the designing of arevolutionary flag, angry talk of a republic, the collectingof guns and ammunition, and the building of a simplewooden fort or stockade. It was the only serious rebellionin our history.

The peaceful protests involved massive public support forthe miners, but the final armed rebellion did not. The

Victorian government had no option but to storm thestockade; every government in Europe would have donelikewise. Soldiers and police made a surprise attack at dawnone Sunday morning. The death toll was 30 miners andfive soldiers.

What lessons should we draw?

Firstly, the gold miners were demanding a ‘fair go’. Thispowerful democratic movement aired genuine grievances.The government did not listen attentively enough, did notact quickly enough.

Secondly, we are one of the oldest continuous democraciesin the world. Democracy means government by debate,government by discussion. The months of protests byminers strengthened that tradition. But the building of thestockade and the one morning of battle defied thattradition.

We should celebrate Eureka and its democratic protests asa landmark event in Australian history. But we should notgo too far in celebrating the battle itself, exciting and tragicas it was. To me the main lesson of Eureka is thatargument, debate and compromise are more effective thanan appeal to arms.

The Significance of Eureka


by Mike Nahan, Executive Director, Institute of Public Affairs

Environmental fundamentalism is one of the greatestchallenges of our time. It is not only threatening our rights touse, enjoy and protect the environment, but also our veryway of life.

Like all fundamentalists, those of the green variety view theworld within a narrow prism of beliefs which are rigidly held,impervious to debate and prone to believing that the endjustifies the means.

They see man and commerce, not as the guardians of theenvironment but as destroyers. Their solution is to lock anever-growing proportion of the environment away from thegrasps of man and commerce. Despite being at odds with thebroader interests of society, the environmentalfundamentalists have gained significant influence and aredoing great damage.

To a large extent, the fault lies with us - society at large. Wehave allowed them to define the problem and the solution.We have allowed them to do so using junk science and spin.We have allowed them to frighten us with horror stories;silence the business sector with threats of ‘brand-mail’ andlure politicians with promises of votes.

We have allowed the fundamentalist into the decision-making tent to represent the environment.

As a result, our rights, our communities, the environmentand system of governance are under threat.

The time has come to stand-up and to reclaim theenvironment from fundamentalists.

As part of this task, the Institute of Public Affairs togetherwith a large number of community groups has organized theInaugural Eureka Forum [www.eurekaforum.org.au] to beheld on 3rd and 4th of December, 2004 in Ballarat.

The purpose of the Forum is to build an alternative voice fromwithin civil society. A voice which: appreciates the need forhuman interaction with the environment; which is driven byevidence-based science and rational debate, which represents thevalues of the people directly involved in using the environment.

The Forum will bring together people and groups fromacross the country and across a range of interests includingfarmers, foresters, fishermen, prospectors, 4WD enthusiasts,bee keepers, bush walkers etc.

www.ipa.org.au

The PMAV is participating in the IPA’s Eureka Forum and will keep members informed of developments.

by Ralph De Lacey

Author of the ‘Small Miner and Native Title’, President of theNorth Queensland Miners Association and President of thenewly formed Queensland Small Miners Council.

I am often amazed at how modern Australians seem to play downor conveniently forget the importance that the Eureka Rebellionplayed in forging our modern democratic society.

If asked, most modern city-dwellingAustralians will tell you that the rebellion hadsomething to do with a gold tax.

Yet wherever you venture in rural Australia youwill see the tattered remnants of the ‘AustralianSouthern Cross’ fluttering from a pole beside alonely shack way out in the bush. The furtherout you go, the more often it is seen.

To a foreigner it must seem that bush people arethe only ones who have not forgotten theimportance of Eureka.

If that same foreigner was to have a quick glance at Australianhistory they would find the true significance of the flag andthat the rebellion was much deeper than just about a gold tax.It was about democracy and free enterprise, the rights of freemen to make their own decisions without being stifled bygovernment intervention.

In today’s fast moving society it seems that rural people arethe only ones forgotten by government legislation designedby and for the city dwelling majority.

Bush people fly the rebel flag as a statement of theirobjection. This subtle statement cuts to the very core of oursociety and is what makes Australia so great. All Australians,regardless of where they live, subscribe to the ideal that everyAustralian has the right to ‘have a go.’

Although the Eureka stockade was quickly defeated by asuperior number of troopers, the rebellion wasa tremendous political victory. The right to freeenterprise was recognised and many legislativechanges were made so as to allow what allAustralians now take for granted.

Since that day whenever officialdom has triedto stifle our right to ‘have a go’ we quicklyreach for the blue banner emblazoned with theSouthern Cross to make the same statementthat was made on 3rd December 1854.

The most enlightening thing to see today isthat in modern Australia with all its high

pressure and the fast moving computer generation, shouldyou dare to scratch beneath the surface and try to impinge ontheir rights, the modern generation will rapidly rally to thesame ideal that was exposed in 1854, and so aptly capturedby the lines from the Henry Lawson ballard ‘Eureka’.

But not in vain those diggers died. Their comrades may rejoice

For over the voice of tyranny is heard the peoples voice;

It says: ‘Reform your rotten law, the diggers’ wrongs make right.

Or else with them, our brothers now, we’ll gather to the fight.’

Eureka

Reclaiming the Environment

THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 5THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 5

by the Hon Theo Theophanous MPMinister for Energy Industries & Resources

The first days – early 1850’s

150 years ago the Governor of Victoria, Sir Charles Hotham,administered the goldfields of Victoria. At that time therewas no ‘Minister for Resources’. Needless to say, Sir Charlesand the miners did not see eye to eye.

Even in those times, the Crown owned all the gold and aperson was required to have a Gold Licence before they wereallowed to mine and keep the gold. A Licence cost 30shillings for three months. In today’s money, that is roughlyequivalent to half a week’s wages. At one point the Governorproposed to change the fee to 3 pounds per year, while theminers wanted it reduced to 20 shillings.

This was a lot of money, especially for people who did nothave much money and may not even discover any gold.

One of the conditions on the licence was: It is enjoined thatall persons on the Gold Fields maintain due and properobservance of Sundays.

Another was that the licence area was just 12 feet square(around 13 square metres).

The police troopers that enforced the payment of fees werepaid a bounty of half of the 5 pound fine for diggers caughtwithout a licence. The fine for a second offence was 15pounds and 30 pounds for a third. Governor Hothamordered licence hunts twice a week.

At Forest Creek in 1853, Chief Commissioner Rede –perhaps equivalent to the current Chief Inspector of Mines –ordered the arrest of a digger who had ridden past on horse-back without doffing his hat to the Commissioner as he satreading a newspaper under a tree.

Miners were also unable to vote.

Eureka! 1854

In the days that led up to the Eureka Rebellion, licence raidsbecame increasingly violent. Troops were pelted with rocks orbeaten, and shots were fired.

The battle at the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854 itselflasted perhaps 20 minutes. Both Government troops andminers died. Peter Lalor, leader of the miners at the stockade,had his left arm amputated as the result of a bullet wound.He was arrested soon afterwards.

After Eureka: a better state of affairs.

A review by a committee of the toxic state of relationsbetween Government and the industry was already underway a month before Eureka. Eureka only reinforced the viewsof the committee that the Government’s enthusiasm for suchharsh application of the law should change. ChiefCommissioner Rede and many others were replaced. Theviolence subsided quickly and Licence hunts ended.

Peter Lalor and other arrested stockaders were tried but allescaped conviction. The Gold Licence was abolished andreplaced by the Miner’s Right. The Miner’s Right came intoforce in June 1855 and cost just 10 shillings for a whole year.Not only did it allow a miner to dig for gold, but he couldalso hold a plot of land for a house and garden. He was alsoable to vote.

The effects of Eureka today and into the future

There is no doubt that relations between miners andGovernment have improved. Our mechanisms to resolveissues require less bloodshed! I understand our MinesInspectors aren’t being stoned any more and I meet regularlywith Rita Bentley and other industry representatives todiscuss and resolve problems.

Compared to the days of the Eureka Stockade, Governmentresponsibilities in regard to the health and safety on minessites – your safety – is a world apart. Our concern withenvironmental matters has also changed significantly and wealso recognise the potential impacts on nearby neighboursand the community in general.

This is a challenge for miners and Government alike, andluckily this task is easier than resorting to stockades andbayonets at Parliament House because of the goodcommunications I have with the PMAV.

The miners’ needs are different now, but ‘demands’ are stillbeing made on their behalf by the PMAV and MineralsCouncil of Australia. I have asked the Department of PrimaryIndustries to review the latest list of demands from thePMAV.

I would like to congratulate the PMAV on maintaining thespirit of Eureka and continuing its staunch advocacy onbehalf of the miners and prospectors of Victoria. We may stillnot see eye to eye on every issue, but I am prepared to listento the voice of the miners and discuss their concerns.

Miners & Government 150 Years After Eureka

We have completed our time capsule and it is ready to handover to The Eureka Centre in Ballarat for 50 years ofsafekeeping.

We will do this in the evening of 4th December after theAGM.

The wording on the time capsule is as follows:

Eureka 150, Prospecting – Our Heritage & Our Future

This time capsule was placed at The Eureka Centre on 4thDecember 2004 by the Prospectors & Miners Association ofVictoria to provide a snapshot of our time. It is to be opened on3rd December 2054 by those continuing the tradition ofprospecting and mining.

Full report in the March ’05 Echo.

Our Time Capsule


A Tasmanian Eureka?by Bob Richardson, President of the Bush Users Group

It is fitting that just a few weeks beforethe anniversary of Eureka those whosupport untrammelled extension ofnational parks received a major setbackin the federal election.

The loss of two Tasmanian Labor seatsfollowing Mark Latham’s old-growthforest lock up announcement was thefirst time in decades that the ALP hasdone a deal for Greens preferences thathas not paid off.

Tasmanian communities, industry,workers and unions rose up andmounted a spectacular demonstrationand public meeting which cheered JohnHoward and his policy of working withthe Tasmanian Government and keepingjobs.

Importantly the action translated intovotes at the ballot box – the languagepoliticians understand. People who werepreviously reluctant to take a politicalstand decided enough was enough. They

didn’t want to go back to the bad olddays of constant federal politicalinterference in Tasmania’s affairs.

It was a slap in the face for all those whowant to keep most recreational andcommercial users out of our public land.

Like Eureka, it may represent a turningpoint. It may go down in history as thetime when the Greens decline began.

We all have to work to make this so. Thenext Victorian election is the time toshow our strength!


by Bob Sheppard, President, AmalgamatedProspectors and Leaseholders Association of Western Australia

In Australia we have a right to vote, a right to follow whateverreligion we like and various other rights defined by law. Ourindigenous partners have Native Title Rights. Prospectors andminers have Miners Rights. It is the right of every Australianto be able to participate in the search for and development ofthis country's mineral resources. It was thedeterioration of these rights that led to the battleat the Eureka Stockade in which prospectors andminers and the guardians of law and order losttheir lives. The Eureka Stockade has become asymbol of defiance against any authority thatsteps over the mark and encroaches unjustly uponour rights.

Fortunately, the spirit of Eureka is still strong.Organisations such as the PMAV, the NQMAand APLA are still fighting for prospectors’ rights.It’s not any easy fight. The almost overwhelminglust for power by out-of-touch public servants,the financial clout of multi-national companies and investors,the misguided efforts of the green movement and policies ofsocial engineering by state and federal governments are alldestined to erode the power of the Miners Right and to makethe life of prospectors and miners more difficult.

It is the responsibility of every prospector and miner toremain vigilant and help those organisations that are there to

help you. There is a responsibility too, for all prospectors toact as ambassadors for the industry. In Western Australia eachyear we see more and more prospectors from the other statesvisit our goldfields and you are all welcome. However, theinflux of prospectors who lack knowledge of our Mining Actis causing problems with pastoralists and tenement holders.This is likely to lead to a deterioration of the Miners Right inWestern Australia.

APLA is doing all it can to maintain ourMiners Rights as they are so we all can havecontinuing access to our mineral fields, butwe need everyone’s help. What happens in theWest will have huge ramifications for allAustralian prospectors.

This year is APLA's 100th anniversary.Since 1904 we have been honouring ourconstitutional mandate to "protect andfurther the interests of prospectors." Whilewe are celebrating our own milestone we willbe remembering the efforts of the prospectorsand miners who joined together to help one

another at Eureka. Some paid the ultimate price. Let ushonour their efforts by ensuring that we all cooperate andlook after one another in the years to come. It is thatcooperation that defines the spirit of Eureka.

The PMAV sends sincere congratulations, admiration andappreciation to all at APLA for their perseverance and hard workover the past 100 years!

Still Standing United


by Andrew Bolt, Herald Sun ColumnistThis article appeared in the Herald Sun, but has been edited by Andrew for inclusion in this Echo.

I'm not surprised most critics are urging on Eureka!, a musicalabout the bloody rebellion of Ballarat miners in 1854.

‘Vibrant,’ said the Herald Sun. The Age, shrilly Leftist, ofcourse clapped loudest, calling Eureka! ‘rousing contemporaryentertainment’.

But from where I sat, crying over the cash my wife had flusheddown the mineshaft, what made this entertainment so unrousingwas the most contemporary thing about it -- its endorsement ofthe Left-wing prejudices that so mar the arts in Australia.

First, a history lesson.

By 1854, the gold rush had dragged in more than 100,000miners, who needed services the Colonial Government couldbarely afford. So the Government made the miners pay for alicence, but who likes paying taxes?

The miners liked even less having police stop them to check forthose licences. And when a rich publican killed a drunk miner,only to be acquitted by a dodgy magistrate, a riot turned into amini-rebellion, which ended only when soldiers stormed theminers' fort, killing 30 of them and losing four of their own.

For a while, it seemed rioters might go wild in Melbourne andGeelong, too, but Victoria survived under the British rule of lawand art of compromise. The licences were scrapped and goldexports were taxed instead.

The place boomed, and many people became rich. The leaderof the Ballarat rebels, Peter Lalor, was even elected to the

Legislative Council and became Speaker, proving the Britishhad built a society in which any man -- or, later, woman -- couldrise high through brains and work.

Count how few countries back then could offer such freedom.

That's something for which to thank the British, but don't tellthat to the creators of Eureka!.

Every one of their half a dozen British characters is evil, weak, afool or a crook. The Governor is a heartless snob, his wife is adrunken snob and the Police Commissioner is a vicious snob.Even Lalor's girlfriend is fickle, and the police, of course, are foul.

The Irish are the true heroes and learn even to be kind to theChinese. They sing, with foreign friends, Strength in Unity, ananthem to the collectivism that still makes Labor hard to votefor. And they angrily condemn British ‘oppression’.

So does Kardinia, an Aboriginal earth mother who regularlywanders in simply to give New Age sermons about thegenocidal British invaders, their violation of sacred land, andtheir silly Christianity.

In fact, it seems from this show that the British didn't even giveus democracy. No, that was created in the Eureka riot. As theshow's poster says of the rebels, ‘They came for gold and createdour nation’.

Some people will love this image of our past -- nasty Britishwiping out blacks and oppressing brave Irish workers, who takeup arms against tyranny and build a nation.

But it is a wrong and racist reading that denies the credit forbuilding our great nation to those who did most.

Web site: www.heraldsun.com.au/andrewbolt

Eureka!

THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 9THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 9

by the Hon Peter Hall MPThe Victorian Nationals spokesman for Resources and the Environment

The Australian way of life is to support the underdog. It isfeasible to say that this commitment was first expressed in amajor event on December 3rd, 1854, which is why the nameEureka has registered as an important historic milestone forgenerations since.

That was the day where our pioneering forefathers foughtthe proud fight against economic and political injustice.Perhaps almost unwittingly, they sowed the seeds ofdemocratic freedom.

The result of the Eureka battle was in some sensesimmaterial. What was important was that the underdogstood up for its rights and showed future Australians the needto fight for what we believe in. That lesson has been heededin numerous events on the world stage since and I believetoday we stand proud and proved as a nation.

It is also true that the gold seekers of the 1850’s provided thebasis of the strong economy we enjoy today. That is why it isdisappointing that the State Government of today has notheeded the lessons of history in its decision making.

It seems the fervour of Government to ‘lock away’increasingly greater areas of public land is again challengingland users, including prospectors and miners.

The failure to acknowledge users as an important landmanagement resource ignores the reality that Government byitself does not have the resources to manage public lands.

I join with you all in celebrating the 150th anniversary ofEureka and, in today’s climate, I urge the current generationof gold seekers to display the same tenacity, courage and fightas those of the past.

The efforts of our forefathers will long be remembered andadmired and we need only look at their efforts to know whatis required today.

Eureka 150

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APLA President—Bob Sheppard APLA long-term Secretary – Lindsay Stockdale APLA Immediate Past President —Scott Wilson

Amalgamated Prospectors & Leaseholders Association of Western Australia

From left: Eric Grummett, Martin Byrne, Tony Mills, Tom Calvert, Rob Bormann, Don Brereton, Geoff Strang, Andrew Overton, Rita Bentley, James Harrington, Jeff Douglas, Bruce Brown,

Allan Rossiter, Steve Dingwall, Paul Wilks and Keith Roberts.

Absent: Rex Motton, Jeff Kenett, Colin Johnson, Steve Barnham, Jim Harrap, Pat Wyatt, Allan Troop, John Munn, Doug Prestidge,

Bill Gleeson, Steve Newland.

PAGE 10 THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004

The Legend Lives On—Those Fighting the Battle on

PMAV Committee and

These people are the mainstay of the Association. It isthanks to their dedication to protecting the future ofprospecting and mining in Victoria that theseactivities continue for future generations to enjoy.

The State Management Committee believes it is anhonour to represent this generation of prospectorsand miners and are proud of all that we have achievedin the past 24 years.

Our appreciation to those who have gone before andour best wishes to those still to come.

State Executives

THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 11THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 11THE EUREKA ECHO—December 2004 PAGE 11

Image courtesy of Ballarat Fine Art Gallery

From left: Don Brereton, Eric Grummett, Geoff Strang (Treasurer), Tom Calvert, Rita Bentley (President), Jeff Douglas (Vice-President),

Allan Rossiter (Secretary), Paul Wilks and Bruce Brown.

Absent Rex Motton.

PMAV State Committee Branch Presidents

From Left: Tony Mills (Central Vic.), Andrew Overton (Grampians), Steve Dingwall (East Gippsland), Rob Bormann (Rep. West Gippsland),

Keith Roberts (South West).

Absent: Jeff Kennett (North East), Geoff Strang (Melbourne), Colin Johnson (West Gippsland)

Behalf of Prospectors and Small-Scale Miners in 2004

Branch Executives 2004

Eureka 1854-2004


Eureka Like You HaveNever Seen It Before

Eureka Revisited: the Contest of Memories is an exhibition broughttogether by the Ballarat Fine Art Galleryand on show in Ballarat from November29 until February 13, 2005. With theoriginal flag of the Southern Cross as itscentrepiece, this exhibition will re-tellthe story of the events of 1854/5 usingoriginal works of art and memorabilia. Itwill then go on to examine the way theEureka story and its starry symbol havetaken on the status of legends. They havebeen exalted, vilified, used and abusedover 150 years. This exhibition traces thedevelopment of one of Australia's greatcultural icons.

Thanks to the generosity of the BallaratFine Art Gallery, PMAV members are

able to visit theexhibition atthe concessionrate of $2.50 –just show yourcurrentmembershipcard at thefront desk.

The modern ‘The Ballarat Couriers’links with Australia’s goldrush heritageare many and various.

Robert Clark, the paper’s founder,arrived in Melbourne early in 1855 tofind the colony all agog about the eventsat Ballarat little more than a monthbefore.

After a brief stint at ‘The Argus’, theMelbourne paper at first for and thenagainst the miners’ cause, he went to thediggings and subsequently foundemployment at ‘The Ballarat Times’under Henry Seekamp, the newspapereditor jailed for his part in the Eurekaaffair, just days before that worthy washorsewhipped by Lola Montez inFebruary, 1857.

Clark went on to work for ‘The Star’, theBallarat paper established shortly afterEureka in 1855 before establishing ‘TheBack Creek Register’ at Talbot in 1859and ‘The Ballarat Courier’, in

partnership with Edward Bateman, onJune 10, 1867.

‘The Ballarat Courier’ bought ‘The Star’in 1924 – a fact acknowledged on themasthead for many years.

This convergence of two greatpublishing traditions makes today’s ‘TheCourier’ one of Ballarat’s oldestinstitutions – either public or private.

It has, through the eyes of Robert Clark,his first local employer Henry Seekamp,and the staff of both ‘The BallaratCourier’ and ‘The Star’, been an activewitness to events dating back to beforeEureka.

An active participant in history as well asa recorder of it, ‘The Courier’, itsmanagement and staff take an activepride in a remarkable newspaper heritagevirtually unequalled in regionalAustralia.

The paper has chosen to celebrate theseconnections, and a dramatic moment inthe history of Ballarat and Australia,with ‘Eureka: 150’, a special publicationintended to capture the spirit of thoseheady times for future generations.

Victoria’s Gold Production—then and now

The Goldfields’ Newspaper—The Ballarat Courier

by David Ellary, The Courier

Graph courtesy of Department of Primary Industries


by Peter Lalor

Peter is a direct descendant of Peter Lalorwho led the miners at Eureka in 1854.

Much has been written about the 1854uprising by the diggers at Ballarat againstthe Victorian Government and itssubsequent effect, legacy and status inthe history of Australia.

Known as the Eureka Stockade, theunderlying causes were probablydemocracy against authority and classstructures.

Specific issues since debated include theintroduction of basic democratic rightsand principles, respect for rather thanfear of the law, multi-culturalism,republicanism and, simply, an ongoingre-enactment of Irish rebellion whetherit be in Ireland itself or in Australia.

However, it is worth briefly andspecifically reflecting on the legislative

changes which occurred post Eureka andthe effect they had on the administrationof the mining industry in Australia.

At a Local Government level, the firstLocal Courts and Mining Board wasformed in 1855 and nine of the Eurekadiggers were elected to serve includingCarboni. These Courts were the firstfruits of the reform movement. Theywere presided over by Wardens of theGoldfields and the members and electorswere men holding mining licences. Themajor error in the formation of theseCourts was that their decisions were notappealable.

In 1857, the Mining Board and Courtsof Mines were created which dealtprimarily with legislation functions.The Local Courts were abolished andreplaced by Wardens Courts which dealtwith mining disputes with appeals lyingto the Courts of Mines.

Subsequently, objections were raised tothe number of Mining Boards and forthe necessity for one uniform code ofmining law for the whole colony.

Eventually, in 1865, a new court calledthe Court of Chief Judge of Courts andMines to be presided over by a judge ofthe Supreme Court was formed. Thestatute paved the way for a uniform codeoverseen by a Court of the highest rankin the colony.

So, in a decade following the uprising,the legal principles and theadministration of mining titles in thecolony progressed greatly to a moredemocratic, judicial and transparentsystem.

This, arguably, was the foundation forthe future judicial and administrativesystem applied in all States for one ofAustralia's great historical industries.

Eureka

Grant Street Takeaway, Proprietors—Russell & Marie Sanderson

40 Grant Street, Ballarat are pleased to be

Eureka 150 sponsors of the PMAV

Likely Prospects Goldfields publications and histories.

Area maps, guides and ‘how to’ manuals.Available through gold related retail outlets.

Enquiries to: [email protected]


by Roger Trudgeon, Gold Museum Curator

Gold and Eureka are the two central themes that underpinthe concept of Sovereign Hill and the way it is promoted.

Sovereign Hill grew out of a realisation in the 1960’s that theearly gold era in Ballarat was a remarkable phase of Australia’spast that could be effectively presented as “living history”.During almost 34 years of operation Sovereign Hill has givenvisitors the chance to immerse themselves in the way of lifeand work in 1850’s Ballarat by recreating a goldfieldstownship. Its hallmark is attention to detail, with historiansand researchers employed to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Sovereign Hill regularly conducts re-enactments duringanniversary celebrations, including a famous burning of theEureka Hotel. It supports many off-site commemorationsthrough costumed staff dressed as troopers and miners. In1986 the Gold Museum opened a comprehensive exhibitionon Eureka that featured many original artefacts anddocuments and helped broaden visitor awareness of Eureka.

The story of Eureka is relived every day and night at SovereignHill with regular licence hunts by troopers on unsuspectingvisitors gold panning in the Red Hill Gully Creek, a dailyparade by Redcoat soldiers and Blood on the Southern Cross,a spectacular sound and light show that uses the latesttechnology and special effects to explain the nature andimpact of the events surrounding the Eureka Stockade battle.More than one million people have witnessed the show, whichattracted record visitor numbers of 95,000 in 2003/2004.

Sovereign Hill acquired several Eureka related artefacts for displayin the Eureka Centre, which it originally operated, and todaycontinues to loan materials from its Gold Museum collections.

Research on aspects of Eureka continues at both SovereignHill and the Gold Museum.

by Richard Laufmann, Managing Director of Ballarat Goldfields NL

Mining of quartz veins at Ballarat East commenced as earlyas 1853 and continued until the closure of the last mine in1918. Recorded gold production from the Ballarat Eastquartz mines totalled 1.7 Mozs at an average recovered gradeof 8.9g/t. The majority of the gold from Ballarat East wasderived from a series of large mines extending along strike forapproximately 3500 metres and averaging 350 metres indepth, with the deepest mine extending to 490 metres.

The quartz gold deposits mined at Ballarat East were of manyshapes and sizes, ranging up to 50m in thickness, some ofwhich remained open at depth upon cessation of mining.

Up until 1914 most of the large quartz mines were stilloperating profitably. However, upon the commencement ofWorld War One, the mines were eventually forced to closedue to lack of manpower.

Regional mapping and modelling of the geology in 3D hasenabled geologists at Ballarat Goldfields NL (BGF) to identifywhere and how the historically mined quartz deposits formed.

Data was available from many sources which related todifferent aspects of the goldfield. A 3D computer basedgeological model has been constructed by BGF thatincorporates data pertaining to all of the shallow alluvial andancient deep alluvial (deep leads) workings; GeologicalSurvey of Victoria reports; mine manager reports from eachmajor mine; and interpretation of the reconstructed stopesthat they mined.

When stepping back to look at the regional geology, a clearpicture begins to emerge in regard to areas which have similarpotential to those areas that were mined historically.

It is the combination of all of this data that BGF has utilisedto identify the exploration potential at Ballarat. However,this is not the end of the story for Ballarat and BGF iscontinually working to expand on its knowledge of the golddeposit types at Ballarat. As further information comes tohand it is incorporated into the geological model and laterupdated as part of the exploration potential at Ballarat.

Sovereign Hill and Eureka The Ballarat Project Revisited

Eureka 2004by Rita Bentley

As we headed full-on into the 150thAnniversary celebrations, I took amoment to consider what impact theuprising 150 years ago had on today’sAustralia. Of course it brought aboutsignificant changes to the way of life forall Australians – other writers havedetailed this for you. But to mepersonally, what does Eureka mean?

It is the legacy of Eureka with which Ifeel so keenly linked and burdened. I’lladmit that at times when the battles withthe bureaucracy and/or government

reached the stage where I was burningthe midnight oil – which occurred onmany an occasion – I consideredthrowing in the towel. Why should Ibother?

Various thoughts followed – someregarding an inability to disappoint ourdevoted, supportive membership, butalso the legacy that those at Eurekapassed to us.

They risked their lives to ensure a betterdeal for prospectors and miners.Couldn’t I spend a few more hoursworking for the same aim?

Have another shot of caffeine, stretchthe legs, then back to the computer for

more work, battling to ensure the Eurekalegacy is kept intact and in a conditionthat we can be proud to pass on to thenext generation of prospectors andminers.

Therefore we must all swear by theSouthern Cross, to stand truly by eachother and fight to defend our rights andliberties. Simply, we have no choice.

To date, we can all be proud of what wehave achieved and the high regard withwhich the PMAV is held. However, wemust never forget the legacy that hasbeen entrusted to us and we must bevigilant to ensure it is secured for thenext generation.


by Noel Laidlaw, State Mining Warden

It was an historic decision taken in 1982by, the then Minister, David White toreintroduce the Office of the MiningWarden. The Office had been abolishedsome years before, as being unnecessaryand wasteful, and the jurisdictionhanded over to the Magistrates Courts.This did not work. The magistrates hadno training in mining and the lawsrelating thereto. They did notunderstand the matters before them.

The new setting up of the MiningWarden’s position was very much aproduct of late twentieth century legalthinking rather than what had existedunder the old Mines Act.

The position was semi-judicial, withextensive powers of investigation; therole of the conciliator was set out, as wasthe role of ombudsman. The newMining Warden was given powers ofrecommendation to the Minister. Therules for the Wardens hearings were to be

based upon Natural Justice.

This was all quite different to the formallegalistic setup for the Mining Wardenunder the old Act who sat in judgementof cases brought before the court.

In reviewing the activities of the past

twenty years, the wisdom of theMinister’s decision has been proven. Thelargest activity of the Warden has been inthe areas of ombudsman i.e.investigating a dispute between a minerand the Department. It has givenindustry a method of ensuring that theirrelationship with bureaucracy is at the

highest ethical level. It has also given theDepartment an audit process to helpexamine itself and improve its processes.

The other area of major activity is theinvestigation of matters referred to theWarden by the Minister or Secretary.The Office of the Mining Warden haswide powers to call on persons andpapers and to compel witnesses to giveevidence under oath. Through thejudicious use of these powers, theMining Warden has been able toexamine a whole range of matters setbefore him and report the findings backto the Minister.

I believe that history will view thedecision to bring back the MiningWarden as good government. For allparties, there exists a process to bringforth and examine any matter relevant tothe mining industry. This has and willcontinue to give confidence to allparticipants in the mining industry inthis State.

by Ian Aitken, National MarketingManager, Minelab Electronics

This year marks the 150th anniversary ofan event in Australia’s history which hashad long-lasting ramifications, even totoday. The Eureka uprising changed thesocial structure of Australia and initiatedthe changes that have made Australia thefree and classless society that it is today.

It would be too simplistic to say thatEureka was just the Ballarat minersrevolting against the high cost of theGold Licence and the tyranny of thetroopers. These may have been the mostobvious irritations of the miners buttheir underlying demands were for achange to the social structure of thecountry, the ability to vote and haverepresentation in government and theability to purchase their own land.

The colony of Victoria in the 1850’s wasvery class structured, modelled on theclass based society of Britain, but here inVictoria the ‘ruling class’ were the

squatters and land owners. With fewexceptions, land ownership was out ofreach of the general public and tomagnify the situation, the right to votewas restricted to the ownership of land.

The ramifications of the Eureka uprisingwere many fold; the subdivision of thehuge properties into smaller holdingsaccessible to the general public,improved representation in governmentand the review of the mining laws wereonly a few. A direct outcome of Eurekawas the replacement of the Gold Licencewith the newly legislated “MinersRight” with all the new rights associatedwith it.

It is from this original Miners Right, thatour current Miners Right has evolved.Over the years, numerous governmentsand anti-prospecting lobby groups havesought to alter and dilute these rightsand it always needs to be rememberedthat those rights were awarded to theprospectors and miners of Victoria afterthe struggles of our forefathers.

You and I are the modern custodians ofthe Miners Right with a preciousheritage to maintain and be proud of.Whether we are the modern dayprospector swinging a metal detector orthe small-scale miner seeking permits todrop a shaft or a drive into a hillside, theghosts of Lalor, Carboni, Hayes andSorenson walk beside us and the Oath ofEureka whispers in the trees.

Lets take a moment to pay homage tothese early miners, the names we allknow and the hundreds of others whohave been lost to history, say thanks tothem for their courage and willingness tostand up to injustice and demand theirrights.

The Office of the Mining Warden

Eureka in the 21st Century


Association News

East Gippsland(Stratford) Branch ReportOver the past year, we have attended displaysat Lardner Park, Noojee and GippslandHeritage Park. All were successful andproved popular with the public and also,surprisingly, with media photographers as weappeared in several newspapers and at leastone national magazine. Rob’s sluice box wasthe most featured of our display items - mustbe something about running water thatattracts people.

Field trips continue to be well supportedand remain the main focus of our branchactivities. Trips to Bendoc / Bonang, andMt Wills proved especially interestingand although not a lot of gold wasfound, more prospecting is certainlywarranted in these areas. TheBullumwaal area was again visited acouple of times through the year andproduced some gold and someinteresting trips. A trip to the Russell'sCreek area after the bushfire wascertainly interesting but unfortunatelydidn't produce more than a few specksof gold. Our June long-weekend trip toMaryborough and the Central Victoriangoldfields produced a few grams of theyellow stuff. Surprisingly most gold wasfound using the GP 3000 and floggingold patches that have yielded well in thepast. It makes one wonder just howmuch gold is still out there awaitingnewer and even better detectors.

The prospecting course still continues asour theme for meetings and, althoughthere hasn't been a great increase in goldfound, we are hoping that the big strikeis getting closer. We have eliminated alot of not-very-productive ground somust be gaining on the elusive big strike.

Meetings have been fairly well attendedthrough the past year

Once again I would like to thank allmembers for making this branch thesuccess that it is. Your continued supportmakes this branch easy to organize andmakes my job relatively easy.

May your pans be filled with gold.Cheers Steve Dingwall - President- East Gippsland Branch Branch meets RSL Hall, Stratford, last Thursday of each month.

Central Victorian(Maryborough) Branch Report

As this is a special edition of the EurekaEcho it would seem appropriate to givea brief summary of the background tothe formation of the PMAV CentralBranch....

In 1975 the first of the ground-cancelling metal detectors, which weresuitable for locating gold nuggets,appeared in the Australian goldfields.

By 1979, as the gold price increasedand metal detector technologyimproved, the use of these 'gold'detectors as a prospecting tool becamemore popular - a modern dayelectronic gold rush had begun.

During the 1980's thousands ofounces of gold was unearthed in theVictorian goldfields with detectors.With large nugget finds regularlyreported in newspapers and magazinesAustralia wide, thousands of gold-seekers flocked to towns like Dunolly,Tarnagulla and Wedderburn toprospect for gold.

As happened in the early gold rush daysmany of the successful modern dayprospectors wished to progress to thenext step, mining. Because detectorshad limitations in their depthcapabilities and nuggets could be foundat varying depths, the pegging ofMiners Right' Claims became popularin the 1980's. The majority of thesemining operations were 5 hectares orless and were generally known as 'doze& detect' operations.

As is the situation today, back in thoseearly years the small scale miner had tocontend with numerous miningregulations and issues. Access to landheld by large mining companies andrehabilitation bonds were commonproblems. It was with this backdrop thatthe PMAV Central Branch was foundedmainly by local people with a sharedinterest in detecting and gold mining.Monthly meetings were generally aninformal affair with well knownprospectors Kevin Hillier, David Wattersand Bill Mitchell presiding over the

meetings in the early years.

Central branch members have alwaysbeen a very pro-active group within thePMAV. Over the years they have beeninvolved in many successful fund raisingventures, public rallies etc. and havealways promoted the Association andwhat it stands for.

While in recent years very few of ourlocal members are still actively involvedin mining, attendance at our meetingshas been excellent. Gold is still beingfound in the region and as new detectionequipment becomes available in thefuture there is little doubt that theCentral Branch will continue to be anintegral part of the PMAV.

The next meeting of Central Branch willbe held at the Coiltek Gold Centre,Maryborough on Monday, 31st January,2005. Start 7.30pm. Be there!Tony Mills - Central Vic. Branch Rep.Branch meets last Monday, every second monthat Coiltek.

Melbourne Branch Report

Field trips this quarter have been toHeathcote, Redcastle and to Creswickwhere we focused on panning andsluicing. It was truly gratifying to see sixdifferent combinations of motor, pumpsand highbankers all thumping orscreaming away at different times and atsome (deafening) times all together.

We had a most interesting speaker fromthe Metropolitan Ambulance Serviceaddress one of our meetings to talkabout first-aid in the bush and we aregoing to continue the theme byconducting first-aid courses early nextyear. For those branches scratching theirheads for guest speakers, this is a win-win idea as it may save a life and it solvesyour problem of who to invite.

Our last meeting for the year will be onTuesday 14th December and then wewill have a rest until February. See you atthe Annual General Meeting in Ballarat.Geoff Strang – Melbourne Branch Coordinator. Branch meets Miners Den, Mitcham – 7.30pmsecond Tuesday of each month.


Association News

North East (Yackandandah)Branch Report

At the September meeting, theattendance was again respectable withmost of our nomadic winter prospectorsreturning from the fabled north landswith tales of large nuggets and perfectprospecting weather. However, we seemto be missing a lot of the newer members.I would just like to remind all ourmembers in the North East that, if theywish to stay up to date with the goings onin the branch, they should try to attendthe meetings. If this is not possible, giveme or our secretary - Bill - a ring for anupdate. (Jeff Kennett 02 6027 3412)(Bill Gleeson 03 5744 1263)

On a sad note, I wish to inform themembers of the passing of our branchmember and friend, Mr Ralph Pitman.Ralph passed away suddenly at his homenear Beechworth. Ralph loved to getaway with the branch on field trips andenjoyed the fun around the campfire atnight. He was also a dab hand in thecamp kitchen and probably saved oursecretary Bill from starving or resortingto cornflakes for tea on more than oneoccasion. Rest in peace Ralph.

I have been requested to notify membersof the untimely death of Mr LukeO’Connor, owner of Mt Poole station,Milparinka, NSW. I would ask thatanyone wishing to prospect on Mt Poolebe mindful of the changed circumstanceswithin the O’Connor family and makeinquires accordingly.

The only field trip this quarter was heldat Butchers Gully, Inglewood. Fullmarks for perseverance must go to Ian,who left camp with detector in handevery morning at 5.30am and didn’treturn until well after lunch. Ianmanaged to find his first nugget on onesuch foray. Well done Ian.

Our next meeting will be held at theYackandandah Senior Citizens Hall7.30pm Wed 12th of January. 2005Please note, this is a departure from thenormal date.

Until next time Happy HuntingJeff Kennett –President, North East Branch Branch meets Yackandandah Senior Citizens, WellsfordSt Yackandandah, bi-monthly 3rd Wednesday.

South West (Ballarat)Branch Report

As the anniversary of the EurekaStockade nears, being so close to where ittook place gives us an additionalconnection with those events of 150years ago and detailed knowledge of thechanges to this city that was built ongold. Today, one of the last things on theCity Council’s mind is gold and after150 years prospectors and small-scaleminers are still doing battle, albeitwithout guns. Today it’s a paper war,fighting legislation and trying to getlocal and state governments tounderstand that there are still people outthere who love to dig for the yellow stuff.

This branch tries to spread the word inour area that we still go out with ourdetectors in the hope that we will findthe odd nugget and that we do. We arevery privileged to have our meetings inthe Old Colonialists Building in LydiardSt, because where we hold our monthlymeetings is no less then 150 metresfrom where the original Eureka flag islovingly housed. The Ballarat Fine ArtGallery is just a few doors from the OldColonialist Club.

We have been out on our monthlyoutings to the usual places Talbot,Creswick, Beaufort and many otherplaces in the golden triangle. We havewelcomed a number of new membersand had different speakers with lots ofinteresting topics. Some of us attendedthe PMAV Central Victorian Branchmeeting in Maryborough and weresurprised at the large turnout. Thosewho had attended the executive meetingin Melbourne explained what the PMAVhas planned for the Eureka celebrations.It was a great night and we hope to gothere for their next meeting to talk aboutgold prospecting in New Zealand.

We had our meeting this month at theMechanics Institute, which has just gonethrough a restoration period. We mustlook after our heritage as well as our futureand we must protect our right to prospectfor gold, for that right is our heritage.Keith Roberts – President South West BranchBranch meets Old Colonists Club, Lydiard St,Ballarat – 7.30pm, 3rd Wednesday of each month.

West Gippsland (Drouin)Branch Report

Over the last few months we have spenta lot of our time detecting at Patrol Roadbecause the fires had burnt out a lot ofthe undergrowth, revealing the olddiggings in the area.

Quite a lot of nuggets have been found.Sizes varied from reasonable to small,but a nugget is a nugget whichever wayyou look at it.

Unfortunately with the recent lovelyweather, the underbrush has beengrowing back fast so it is becomingincreasingly hard to swing a detector.

Some of our members went to Dunollyfor a few days and found about a dozennuggets. The next field trip is back toPatrol Road and an extended trip toHeathcote.

A safe and Happy Christmas to all andhappy prospecting. Colin Johnson - President - West Gippsland Branch Branch meets CWA Hall, 10 Sinclair St, Drouin -second Thursday of each month.

Grampians Branch Report

Things have become a bit stagnant withyours truly being hampered by workcommitments lately.

The field trips have not been possiblebecause I don't have any weekendsanymore! I am hoping that others willfill the void and organise one thismonth. Keep your eyes peeled to thePMAV website for locales and dates. Ourmembership numbers have levelled offwith no new members for a couple ofmonths now. The new year may offernew opportunities for me to actively seek'new blood' by way of more widelyadvertising our field trips and being seenat Stawell Gold Mines open days.

A few small nuggets keep turning up asusual but no big ones of late. The Eureka150 Nugget keeps eluding us all!! On abrighter note, our meeting with localhead Ranger, John Harris, was quite aneye opener. Members John Kelly andJohn Tottenham both gave sterling inputto Mr Harris to put our position across.


PMAV Committee Activity Report

While much of our time over the pastthree months has been devoted toensuring the 150th EurekaAnniversary is appropriatelyrecognised, there has been a lot ofother work to do.

We have lodged an excellent andcomprehensive submission to theState Government’s VictorianCompetition and EfficiencyCommission’s Inquiry into RegulatoryBarriers to Regional EconomicDevelopment – thanks to AllanRossiter and Rex Motton. To read acopy visit: www.vcec.vic.gov.au andfollow the links to the Inquiry.

The Small Miners Action Group metwith Executive Director of Mineralsand Petroleum Victoria – RichardAldous – to discuss the state of thesmall-scale mining sector and what todo about it. A follow up meeting withthe Director of Minerals Regulation,Phil Roberts, was also held inNovember.

We met with Midland Insurance toprogress the vexing insurance issue forsmall miners. There is a glimmer ofhope on the horizon.

Rita visited the Bendigo ProspectorsClub as their guest speaker andattended a Public Land Council ofVictoria meeting on our behalf.

We played an important role in theorganisation of the Inaugural EurekaForum, continued to support theBush Users Group, took endlessphone calls, answered immeasurablecorrespondence from the bureaucracy,put lots of time into working throughthe Demands with Government,attended a meeting of the Extractiveand Mining Industry Advisory Boardand lots, lots more.

As usual, we worked hard on yourbehalf. At the time of writing we stilldon’t know how successful we will bewith our Demands. This is likely to bea lengthy process, which we will haveto continue to devote significant timeand resources to. However, our fingersare firmly crossed and our resolvehasn’t diminished!

Park Planning

The Draft Plans for the Greater BendigoNational Park and the CastlemaineDiggings National Heritage Park are duefor release in December.

It is expected that there will be a periodof 90 days of public consultation. Allmembers with an interest in these areasare advised to obtain a copy of the draftsfrom Parks Victoria and make comment.Both parks cover important goldfields.

The PMAV will be making a submission onboth but please don’t leave it to us.Remember the success we had with BoxIronbark, it was because we worked as ateam – a rather large team! Those preparingthe Plans will need to know that prospectingis an important activity for many peopleand providing realistic opportunities forprospecting in these parks is mandatory.

Further details from www.parkweb.vic.gov.auor Parks Vic information 13 1963.

Water Licences

As a consequence of the passage of the Water(Irrigation Farm Dams) Act 2000, somepreviously unlicenced water use at minesneeds now to be licenced. Mine operators willhave received a letter from DPI to this effect.

A licence is required if water is takenfrom a waterway and used in a mine. Alicence is also required if water from amine is taken or used. This includeslong-term mine dewatering, the primarypurpose of which is to lowersurrounding groundwater levels.

A water licence is not required fortailings dams, settling ponds and damsin which recycled processing water isused, provided these dams are designedto exclude surface run-off. A licence isnot required if water entering anexcavation is from direct rainfall.

Mine operators have until 31 December,2004 to apply for any required waterlicences. If operators are unclear abouttheir licence obligations they should seekthe advice of their local Water Authority.

This will be the last opportunity to easilyretain access to water on your Licence –we urge you to act on this immediately.

Getting on with BusinessThe ban on prospecting within theDeep Lead NCR has been clarified. Itseems that over two thirds of theavailable ground is still actually open tous despite rangers being instructed toclear prospectors out! Very cheeky!The DSE and Parks Victoria haveconceded that it was only arecommendation that prospecting bebanned within the whole NCR and thatno formal enaction has taken place.Most of our public land within theStawell area is still therefore open. Theban is still in force within the florareserve in the Ironbarks State Forest.

A request for a review concerning thisban has only recently solicited a replywhich states that the ban stays despite allof the evidence which suggests there islittle need for it. Typical governmentignorance! Information provided by MrHarris proves that much of the flora thatthe ban was meant to protect may noteven exist anymore!! The PMAV'sresident field naturalist, local memberJohn Kelly, found it most interesting andeven surprised Mr Harris with theobvious ludicrousness of it all. JohnKelly's knowledge of flora is amazing (hecame armed to the teeth with heaps ofbooks to the meeting!)

He is a real asset to the PMAV.

I would also like to thank JohnTottenham in particular for his greatsupport of me and for standing in for meat the last exec’s meeting.

I'm looking forward very much to seeingeveryone at Eureka 150 and the AGM inDecember.Andrew Overton (Pennyweight) Grampians Branch ConvenorBranch meets 7pm third Friday, every second monthat the Great Western Hotel.

Disappointed with your results lately!Try Tesoro and discover

what you have been missing.

For more information contact

David Bishop & Co54 Watson Street Wodonga 3690

Phone (02) 6024 1743


Prospecting Club/AssociationContacts

Prospecting club meeting dates are available from the clubs directly, as follows:

Victorian Seekers Club meet at Mulgrave phone: 03 9728 1146

Victorian Fossickers Club meet at Lilydalephone: 03 9736 3325

Geelong Prospecting Club meet at Hamlyn Heightsphone: 03 5241 8024.

Victorian Metal Detector &Prospecting Association meet at Dandenongphone: 03 9382 7044

Ivanhoe Fossickers Club meet at East Ivanhoephone: 03 9841 8412

Moorabbin Prospecting and CampingClub meet at Moorabbin phone: 03 9543 4024

Sunbury Metal Detecting Club meet at Sunbury phone: 03 9308 3364

Bendigo Prospectors Club meet at Bendigo phone: 0409 188 138

Peninsula Metal Detecting andProspecting Club, phone: 03 5982 2625

Central Coast Prospecting Clubphone: 02 4373 1900

Canberra Lapidary Club (fossickinggroup), phone 02 6231 6967

Brisbane Metal Detecting Club phone: 07 3882 0342

Hunter Valley Fossicking Clubphone: 02 4956 8575

Amalgamated Prospectors & Leaseholders Association, Western Australia phone: 08 9091 8878

North Queensland Miners Associationphone: 07 4081 0241 or 0428 163 176

PMAV phone: 0408 176 496

Please send additions or corrections to this list to GPO Box 1706PMelbourne Vic 3001 or email to: [email protected]

Important Contact DetailsMinerals and Petroleum (03) 9658 4000or visit www.dpi.vic.gov.au

Parks Victoria 13 1963 or visitwww.parkweb.vic.gov.au DSE 13 6186or visit www.dse.vic.gov.au

Bush Telegraph 13 2874

PMAV 0408 176 496

Detector Jamboree

The annual Wedderburn Gold DetectorJamboree will be on again over theLabour Day weekend in March 2005 atthe Hard Hill Tourist Reserve.

The 2005 event will focus on gold andthe heritage and history of thegoldfields. Events and entertainmentwill provide something for the young,and young at heart.

The activities will include the annualtoken hunt with more tokens and lotsmore prizes for the lucky winners.

There will be a junior gold panningcompetition, live entertainment on bothSaturday and Sunday nights, a talk onSaturday evening by Coiltek’s JohnGladdis plus lots more.

The major prize is a Minelab GP3000detector donated by Minelab. Membersshould note that PMAV members havewon the GP3000 for the past two years.

The event is supported by MinelabElectronics, Coiltek and the Loddon Shire.

For further details and competitionterms visit: www.wedderburnonline.net or phone 03 5494 3517.

Dates to Watch

December 4thPMAV Annual General Meeting in Ballarat

5th January 2005 150th Anniversary of the naming of the Miners Right

March 12th –13thWedderburn Gold Detector Jamboree

For a free listing of your event in thiscolumn contact Rita on 0408 328 640or email [email protected]

Letter to the Editor

I am unable to attend meetings as yet,however I wish to express my appreciationto the full committee for the wonderful jobthey do for we members. God helpprospectors, fossickers, miners – big andsmall, amateur or professional if we everlose the PMAV.

Keep up the good work and thankyou.

Ern C. Doncaster

Vale

It is with sadness we advise that PMAVLife Member, Dick Crimeen, recentlypassed away. Dick was a foundingcommittee member of the PMAV anda strong supporter, particularly in ourearly years.

Bill Kyte wrote the following uponhearing of Dick’s passing.

I was on that first Committee. At thetime, people thought that we were abunch of radicals going nowhere.Mining was drummed up to be a dirtyword. Dick Crimeen went to DougKemsley with the story that the miningindustry needed to take immediateaction against the attempts of the LandConservation Council, with the supportof the Mines Department middlemanagement, to limit mining inVictoria to five companies and no smallminers. Dick lent the Committee a fairlylarge amount of unsecured initialoperating capital with which to start thePMAV. (The money was re-paid).

His sheer personality won many friendsand admirers.

Our sympathies to Dick’s wife Noreenand family.

Getting on with Business

❖❖

❖TARNAGULLA

Golden Triangle Caravan and Camping Park

Poverty St. Tarnagulla VIC 3551Fossickers, Prospectors & Clubs welcome.

Located in historic nugget country.Cabins and ensuites, On site vans or BYO.

Permanent and casual sites available.Credit card facilities. Pets allowed.

Telephone: Ian Ford

(03) 5438 7329


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Miners Den, 464 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham Vic 3132Ph: (03) 9873 1244 or 1800 335 075 Fax: (03) 9874 5891Email: [email protected]

Visit our new website at:www.minersden.com.au

NEW MINER’S DEN CATALOGUE

Order your FREE copy by writing, phoning or emailing:

The Miners Den catalogue is a comprehensive list of the huge range of productswe stock. Everything is there from the best detectors to find gold, through to thedisplay cases to show it off. Over 200 book titles, a wide range of maps, all thevarious tools you could possibly want, sluice boxes and gold pans are all here.

The Gold Team Mining Company

Kate & Cordell Kent, The Mining Exchange Gold Shop

Australian Environmental Services

The PMAV wishes to thank the following supporters:

Ballarat Fine Art Gallery

Grant Street Takeaway, Ballarat

Finders, Dunolly

Tarnagulla Caravan Park

Likely Prospects

David Bishop & Co

Print Post Approved PP334385/00074 December 2004 150th ...The Eureka Echo is distributed to...

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Transcript of Print Post Approved PP334385/00074 December 2004 150th ...The Eureka Echo is distributed to...