The Gold Fields Homestead Act

The Gold Fields Homestead Act of 1870 encouraged gold miners and others to become
permanent residents on the gold fields of Queensland. From 1 March 1871 it repealed the
Gold Fields Towns Lands Act of 1869 and enabled any holder of a miner’s right, business
license or gold mining lease (or any other authorised adult resident) to make application for a
lease of land on a proclaimed gold field. The applicant must have been resident on the field
for not less than six months and the application had to be lodged at the office of the
Commissioner in charge of the gold field. The area applied for was not to exceed 40 acres. An
Application Book was to be kept at the office of the Gold Commissioner on every proclaimed
gold field. The number of applicants was restricted to one hundred on each field and leases
were transferable. Any miner with a valid miner’s right was able to search for gold on the land.

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/CollectionsDownloads/Documents/BG48Miners_Homestead_Leases.pdf