There are two sizes of claims that can be pegged on an opal field in S.A. They are known as large claims or small claims and are indicated by the letter L or S on each of the four claim pegs. A large claim is one which has one or two of its boundaries over 50m in length, with the long boundaries adjacent to the short ones. (see diagrams) A small claim is one in which none of the boundaries are over 50 m in length. Large claims cost more to register than small ones.

Pegging a claim is a straightforward exercise, and can be broken down into several easy to follow steps. Firstly, get your equipment for pegging together. Things you will need are:

• Pick and shovel - You will need to dig a hole for each of the four pegs.

• Measuring tape - 50 metre or 100 metre tape is needed to measure the distance between pegs and the distance from the Mines Department survey peg.

• Compass - Necessary to take directional measurements in degrees.

• Paper and pen - You will have to write your measurements down.

• Paint pen or marking pen - Necessary for writing the date of pegging on each of the four claim pegs. After registering, it will be needed again to write the registration number on the pegs.

• Your 4 pegs with current P.S.P.P. attached.

 

When pegging a claim you will be faced with one of two scenarios:  One is that there are no surrounding claims nearby, and you are free to peg a claim of the maximum 100m X 50m size. The other scenario is there are other claims pegged in the area close to where you intend to peg your claim. You can still peg a claim here, but may not be able to peg one of the maximum size or shape.

Scenario 1: Pegging a regular sized claim

In the event that you have a large space to peg in and are not restricted by surrounding claims, begin by deciding the size (100 x 50 metres, or 50 x 50 metres). Draw a square or rectangle on your piece of paper, then after placing your first peg in the ground, take a compass measurement to the position where the second peg will be. Write the distance and compass bearing down on your diagram, and when the exact distance is measured to the second peg, place it in the ground. Now you must take a compass reading from the second peg to where the third peg will be. It should be exactly 90 degrees greater or less than the first compass measurement, and will give a right angle. It saves a lot of time if you have a second person helping with this, because one person can direct the second person to the correct compass direction. Measure the distance to the third peg along the correct directional line, and place that peg in the ground. Repeat this process for the fourth peg, and to check for correct positioning, the difference in compass heading from the fourth peg to the first peg should be 90 degrees. In fact, if you have a square or rectangular shaped claim, all four pegs should have a difference of 90 degrees between them.

You will now need to look for a Mines Department survey peg. Maps are available at the field office with all of the survey pegs on the field marked and numbered. Take a compass reading from the survey peg to the nearest corner peg of your claim and measure the exact distance to the claim peg. Record both in your diagram. This is a very important part of the pegging process, as survey pegs are not usually moved from their positions and it may be necessary to determine the exact position of your claim from your diagram in relation to the survey peg in the event that one or more of your pegs gets accidentally moved, or buried by a passing bulldozer or other event. While you are at it, write down the date and time of pegging the claim, and the name of the diggings you are pegging in. (ie: Crystal Valley or Main Field) This information will be needed when you register the claim with PIRSA..

Scenario 2: Pegging an irregular shaped claim

Because no-one is allowed to "over-peg" any part of another claim, and there may be less than 50 metres between claims, it may be necessary to peg an irregular shaped claim. After all, fortunes have been found in very small claims! It is legal to peg a claim with boundaries of less than 50m in length, in fact any boundary 1m in length or over is acceptable as long as the short boundaries are not over 50m long, and the long boundaries are not over 100m long. If you want a piece of ground that is surrounded by other claims, you will be able to place the pegs in the ground, then measure the distances and compass bearings between pegs. (In this case, there may not be 90 degrees difference between each of the pegs as in the pegging of a regular shaped claim.)  When the pegging is complete, it is necessary to measure the distance and compass bearing from the Mines Department survey peg to one of the claim pegs.  If the claim turns out to be irregular in shape, (ie: triangular) the registration process is slightly more complicated and requires the person pegging the claim to record the numbers of all PSPP's of the surrounding claims, and filling out an application form to register an irregular shaped claim.  The mines inspector will then personally go to the claim site and visually inspect the site before approving the registration.