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Early in August, 1851, the Governor announced that, for the future,
licenses would be held to cover only alluvial gold, and that for rock
gold found on Crown land the Government would demand a royalty of 10 per
cent., half that amount if the working was on private land. A fortnight
later the Government undertook the escort of gold from the diggings to
Sydney, thereby adding considerably to the Crown revenue and at the same
time obtaining additional power over the gold districts. By the end of
August, gold to the value of seventy thousand pounds had been exported
from the colony. But these figures were soon eclipsed by those which
followed.
The news of the gold discoveries near Bathurst had soon spread through
the Australian colonies. The more adventurous of the colonists started
at once for the diggings. Others, often encouraged by their governments,
who foresaw a constant drain of population in favor of the gold colony,
endeavored to find gold within their own limits. Rumors of discoveries
were constantly arising.


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