No, it is not true that all silver mined in Australia is owned by the Crown or the royal family. This appears to be a rumour or misconception not supported by the provided search results. Here are the key facts:
The royal prerogative over gold and silver, which gave the Crown ownership of these “royal minerals”, was inherited by Australia from British common law during colonization.[1] However, this prerogative has been largely abrogated by legislation in Australian states and territories.
All Australian states and territories have passed legislation vesting ownership of all minerals and resources in the ground, including gold and silver, to the respective state/territory governments rather than the Crown.[1] For example, the Mining Act 1978 in Western Australia vests all mineral ownership with the state.
While the King remains the constitutional monarch of Australia, he does not have personal ownership over mineral resources like silver mined in the country. The royal family’s property holdings are largely limited to the UK.[2]
There are no current legal provisions giving the Crown or royal family ownership over silver or other minerals extracted in Australia by mining companies.[1][2][4] Mineral rights and royalties go to the state/territory governments.
In summary, despite the historical royal prerogative, modern Australian legislation has transferred ownership of all minerals, including silver, to the state and territory governments rather than the Crown or royal family. The rumour that they own all mined silver in Australia does not appear to be factually supported based on the information provided.[1][2]
Citations:
[1] https://s3.studentvip.com.au/notes/14106-sample.pdf
[2] https://www.apimagazine.com.au/news/article/does-the-royal-family-own-property-in-australia
[3] https://www.perthmint.com/about/government-guarantee/
[4] https://www.mining-technology.com/marketdata/five-largest-silver-mines-australia-2020/
