VPRS 10980 Mining Warden's Register of Claims, Goulburn Division

This series consists of the Mining Wardens register of claims for the Goulburn Division of the Beechworth Mining District (VA 3145). The volume in the P1 consignment was transferred to PRO custody in 1996 by the Alexandra Timber Railway and Museum which had previously maintained it in its custody. The existence of volumes pre and post dating this volume is currently unknown. The Gold Fields Laws Amendment Act 1860 (24 Vic.,No.115) empowered the Governor-in-Council to appoint Mining Registrars in the mining districts to carry out duties prescribed in the mining by-laws for their district. Mining Registrars were primarily concerned with claims or privileges held under miners rights. Responsibilities included the registration and transfer of various types of claims specified in the mining by-laws. Mining Registrars were also responsible for preparing reports and statistics showing the progress of mining within their district. 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) tunnelling claim 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. A Register 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; and details of transfers or amalgamations of claims.

本系列包含比奇沃思采矿区古尔本分区的采矿监理官（Mining Wardens）采矿权登记册（档案编号VA 3145）。P1批次中的该卷宗于1996年由此前负责保管该卷宗的亚历山大树木铁路与博物馆移交至PRO保管。目前尚无该卷宗前后相关卷宗的存世信息。

1860年《金矿法修正案》（24 Vic., No.115）授权总督会同行政局在各采矿区任命采矿登记官（Mining Registrars），以履行其辖区采矿附例（mining by-laws）规定的职责。采矿登记官主要负责处理基于采矿权（Miners Right）产生的各类采矿权申请或特权事宜，其职责涵盖采矿附例中规定的各类采矿权的登记与转让事宜。此外，采矿登记官还需编制反映辖区采矿活动进展情况的报告与统计数据。

根据采矿附例，采矿权持有人有权申领各类采矿权，每一类采矿权均明确规定了可开展的采矿活动类型。各类采矿权包括：沿矿脉的探矿权、用于浅层开采的冲积采矿权、隧道采矿权、洗矿与选矿采矿权、水权或水道采矿权、机械作业场地权、水坝场地权以及住宅用地权（有效期至1936年）。

采矿权登记册可针对特定类型的采矿权（如《水道登记册》《住宅用地登记册》），也可涵盖多种类型的采矿权。若采矿权由合伙关系共同申领，则登记册通常会记录各合伙人约定的持股比例。采矿权登记册通常包含以下内容：采矿权编号与登记日期、持有人或所有者姓名、采矿权编号与采矿权登记日期、采矿权详情、所在区位，以及采矿权转让或合并的相关细节。