Return relics to the ground?

[mozzie1957]

Had a chat with one of the local rangers (Bendigo), while at the Dept of Many Name Changes, and he informed me that 'if found, on the goldfields, any relic over 50 years of age to be left where found'.
Dig an old pistol, pocket watch, whatever and leave them where found? As if!!!

 

[the duck]

I tend to return all relics back in the hole as that is the law in victoria but i do keep some finds from private property like coins etc but anything of any real value or historic importance should be reported

 

[Pete_The_Prospector]

Does this mean that if any of you old codgers over 50 fall down a hole that I have to leave you there
Baahahaha I'm only kidding, I love you all

 

[Ozjono]

Leave them there to rust or deteriorate no thanks don't care if it's a law dam stupid I take what I find if I like it or give them to the historic group

 

[woolshed]

I keep most relics that I find. I photograph the relics when found and after clean up. I record all finds and the location of the finds. My finds are all of local historical significance.
Some of my finds were found today, others were found before some areas were called a National Park.
There is no official way of declaring your finds as you should not be looking for them. There is no amnesty for finds found before Crown Land became National Park. It would be great if Heritage Victoria or Parks Victoria had an official site that you could register and log on to, upload your finds and have them recorded and viewed by an expert.
This will only happen if the Heritage Laws are changed and I can't see that happening.

With my photos and recorded locations I can prove provenance and this is very important as it shows that an old button was not bought at the local Sunday market. I would like some day to donate my finds, photos etc, to the Local Museum. But how could they accept them under the current Heritage Laws knowing how I got them. Much of our local history is being found and then lost due to bureaucracy and Laws that have not taken into account human nature, that is that we are all fossickers. The Law is the Law.

Woolshed.

 

[Guest]

I keep most relics that I find. I photograph the relics when found and after clean up. I record all finds and the location of the finds. My finds are all of local historical significance.
Some of my finds were found today, others were found before some areas were called a National Park.
There is no official way of declaring your finds as you should not be looking for them. There is no amnesty for finds found before Crown Land became National Park. It would be great if Heritage Victoria or Parks Victoria had an official site that you could register and log on to, upload your finds and have them recorded and viewed by an expert.
This will only happen if the Heritage Laws are changed and I can't see that happening.

With my photos and recorded locations I can prove provenance and this is very important as it shows that an old button was not bought at the local Sunday market. I would like some day to donate my finds, photos etc, to the Local Museum. But how could they accept them under the current Heritage Laws knowing how I got them. Much of our local history is being found and then lost due to bureaucracy and Laws that have not taken into account human nature, that is that we are all fossickers. The Law is the Law.

Woolshed.

It is not an offence to pick up or remove an item exposed on or in the surface of the ground but the item must be reported to Heritage Victoria, who will say thank you very much and take it from you. They will put it in a box and it will never be seen again. If you have items that you wish to give to a museum then just don't tell them when you found them. You can say you found them years ago and who can prove otherwise. But of course detecting and removing items from a National Park is illegal and people have been prosecuted for detecting in the Chiltern Mt. Pilot National Park in recent years. Also some sites are listed on the Victorian Heritage database, and removing items from or disturbing items on those sites is illegal too.

 

[woolshed]

If other Government departments can record your details on a database and issue permits such as Fishing , Shooting, Prospecting ( Miners Right ) and other types of permits, than I can`t see why Heritage or Parks Victoria are not willing to do the same. Have an amateur fossickers permint and a web site to log on with a password and username. They would have all of details and could contact you if they needed to do so. It can't be too hard,, look at this site and others like it, and not funded by the Taxpayer.

Over time all things recorded from all areas, eg, Goldfields would create a better picture of life and times there as items are added to each Goldfield. At the moment finds are being made, not recorded and therefore lost. A goldfields belt buckle sold on ebay has now lost its provenance, is now just an old belt buckle with no local history to it and no Heritage value at all. But , Yes The Law is the Law. No more said.

Cheers, Woolshed.

 

[dave14110]

National park ,State forrest, Crown land or Historic Park it makes no difference to historic find. We are all suppose to leave item where found mark location & report it to authorities.
However we all have different Value's & do different things with what we find each to their own & no offence intended.

 

[Guest]

Maybe we need a system like England where items found are, if valuable, purchased from the finder by the government and put into museums etc. A National register of artifacts would be great but who wants to make their finds public? Sadly if you tell Heritage Victoria, they want total control and you will never see your find again.
So enjoy what you find but just don't tell anyone where you found it.

 

[dave14110]

Yes totally agree bill I believe the English value Item then pay 50% to land holder & 50% to finder. But Government or museums & ultimately the people get to see these Historic item rather than someone just leaving them in ground or remove and keeping items. They certainly have a better system than we do.