Return Respecting The Gold Fields

Folio (13 x 8 inches). Printed on grey paper. Modern brown leatherette, gilt. GOLD IS DISCOVERED IN VICTORIA "Whereas, by Law, all Mines of Gold and all Gold in its natural place of deposit within the Colony of Victoria, whether on the lands of the Queen or of any of Her Majesty's subjects, belong to the Crown. And whereas information has been received by the Government that Gold exists upon and in the soil of the Colony, and that certain persons have commenced, or are about to commence, searching and digging for the same for their own use, without leave or other authority from Her Majesty: Now I, Charles Joseph LaTrobe, Esquire, the Lieutenant Governor aforesaid, on behalf of Her Majesty, do hereby publicly notify and declare that all persons who shall take from any lands with the said Colony, and Gold, Metal, or Ore containing Gold, . will be prosecuted both criminally and civilly as the Law allows." (page 10). The above notice was issued on the 15th of August in 1851, little more than a month after gold had been discovered in Victoria. The discovery sparked a rush similar to that in California, the population quadrupled in the next 3 years, and Britain had enough wealth to pay off her foreign debts and fund an industrial revolution. This is an important collection of 11 Returns and Memos detailing the history of the discovery of gold in Victoria, including documents that record the dates and locations of the finds, the number of licenses issued, the quantity and value of the finds. There are also documents recording the incidental consequences of the finds, including the number of immigrants to Victoria drawn there by the gold, the number of extra Government Commissioners and Police required to maintain order, and details of the gold escort system that took the gold from the fields to the treasury in Melbourne.…