Commonwealth legislation

Precious Metals Prospecting Regulations

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Act Number

52 of 1926

Collection

legislative instrument

Plain English Summary

2/10 complexity

These regulations set the rules for how government money (called "advances") is given to people and companies searching for precious metals like gold.

For the Australian States: If a State government gives financial assistance to prospectors, the specific terms and conditions follow that State's own local prospecting laws. The federal government provides the money but lets each State decide the details.

For the Northern Territory: The same principle applies — terms follow Territory law — but with one important extra rule: no single advance can be more than £300 unless the federal Minister personally approves it.

Why this matters: This 1926 law created a system where the federal government funded mining exploration during the gold rush era, but delegated day-to-day management to State governments. The £300 cap in the Northern Territory provided direct federal oversight over larger sums in the Territory, which was federally administered at the time.

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Precious Metals Prospecting Regulations

STATUTORY RULES.

1926. No. 52.

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REGULATIONS UNDER THE PRECIOUS METALS PROSPECTING ACT 1926.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Precious Metals Prospecting Act 1926, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated the sixteenth day of April, 1926.

STONEHAVEN,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

G. F. PEARCE,

Minister of State for Home and Territories.

Precious Metals Prospecting Regulations.

Short title.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Precious Metals Prospecting Regulations.

Definitions.

In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears, “the Act” means the Precious Metals Prospecting Act 1926.

Terms and conditions of advances in States.

3. The terms and conditions upon which advances shall be made by a State out of moneys allocated to it under the Act to assist persons or companies engaged in prospecting for precious metals shall be in accordance with the laws of that State from time to time in force relating to prospecting.

Advances in the Northern Territory.

4. (1) The terms and conditions upon which advances shall be made in the Northern Territory to assist persons or companies engaged in the Territory in prospecting for precious metals shall be in accordance with the laws of the Territory from time to time in force relating to prospecting.

(2) No advance in excess of Three hundred pounds shall be made in the Northern Territory except with the approval of the Minister.

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by H. J. Green, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 Precious Metals Prospecting Regulations