Leslie Massey
Australia has a rich history of gold prospecting, with the search for gold creating many gold rushes over the centuries. Gold prospecting and fossicking continue to draw people from far and wide to Australia's Golden Outback. Gold can be found in creek beds, where it has settled or become trapped as it is transported downstream by the water flow. There are several methods and tools that can be used to extract gold from creek beds, including gold panning, sluicing, and
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Gold-bearing landscapes | Respect the environment and minimise your environmental footprint |
| Gold prospecting methods | Gold panning, sluicing, crevicing |
| Tools for crevicing | Screwdrivers, spoons, narrow scoops, small hand shovels, small sniffer bottles, yabby/bait hand pumps, crow bar, hammer/chisel |
| Gold prospecting locations | Echunga goldfields, Castlemaine, Maldon, Kalgoorlie, Hill End, Ophir Reserve, Warrego Fossicking Area, Jupiter Creek Diggings, Peel River, Turon River, Sunshine Coast Area, Warwick Area, Canal Creek Goldfield, Lucky Valley Goldfield, Mount Wyatt Goldfield, Marengo Goldfield, Clermont, Corinna |
| Gold prospecting tips | Look for greenstone, quartz, rose quartz, coloured agate, scrubby country with short vegetation growth, old creek beds, bends in the creeks, large rocks in creek beds, layers of bedrock/reefs, exposed cliff edges, old relics |
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What You'll Learn
Look for greenstone and quartz
When looking for gold in Australian creeks, it is important to look for greenstone and quartz. Greenstone indicates that the rock was hot enough to create the right conditions for gold to form. Most of the world's biggest gold deposits occur where you find greenstone.
Quartz is also a good indicator of gold. Specifically, look for rose quartz, which indicates that the conditions were hot enough for gold to form. Black quartz, on the other hand, indicates radiation in the ground when the quartz formed, which is useful when mining for uranium ore.
When searching for gold in creeks, also look for old creek beds near current creeks. Creeks change their course over millions of years, and gold can be found on the bends where the gravel and sand have built up.
It is important to note that gold is super rare and quartz is abundant, so the chances of finding gold in a creek based on the presence of quartz are slim. However, if there are signs of previous mining activity in the area, it may be worth investigating further. Look for discoloured or rotting quartz, as clear quartz is generally barren. Take samples from the creek and pan them to increase your chances of finding gold.
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Identify creek bends and old creek beds
When identifying creek bends and old creek beds in Australia to find gold, there are several key things to keep in mind. Firstly, look for old creek beds near current creeks. Creeks change their course over millions of years, so the original creek bed may now be higher up on the bank. You will recognise them by the layers of sediment, gravel, and large rounded stones. These areas can be dangerous, so take care not to undermine the bank.
Secondly, pay attention to the direction of water flow in the creek. Gold can often be found on the bends of creeks, specifically on the banks where gravel and sand have built up. Large rocks in creek beds that block the water flow can also be a good indicator, as they create eddy currents behind them where gold can drop and become trapped.
Thirdly, look for natural riffles, which are areas where the water flow changes direction due to obstacles. In creek beds, look for these riffles under the roots of grasses on the banks, as well as layers of bedrock or reefs that form across the creek. These natural riffles are excellent spots to use a screwdriver or thin metal tool to extract gold from crevices.
Finally, when prospecting for gold in creeks, consider the tools and methods you will use to extract the gold. A metal detector can be useful for finding gold in creek beds, but be prepared to dig through a lot of trash, especially in inhabited areas. Alternatively, crevicing is a method of extracting gold from cracks and crevices in the bedrock of creek beds without having to process large amounts of gravel. You can purchase crevicing kits or gather your own tools, such as screwdrivers, spoons, small shovels, and sniffer bottles.
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Use crevicing to extract gold from cracks
Crevicing is a simple and effective method of extracting gold from cracks or crevices in a creek bed, and it requires few tools. The cracks in the creek bed do a lot of the work for you by capturing gold from the surrounding gravels.
To get started with crevicing, look for a creek with large areas of exposed bedrock. Gold is heavy, so it tends to concentrate more readily in the low spots. Find cracks in the bedrock that are narrow—less than an inch wide—and seem to go down deep. These are known gold-catching areas. The best cracks to clean out are often the small ones. If you find one that hasn't been dug out by another miner, the potential can be quite amazing.
You can purchase crevicing kits from gold shops, or you can gather your own tools. Basic tools include a rock hammer, chisel, metal spoon, screwdriver, pry bar, and a bucket. Small sniffer bottles and larger yabby/bait hand pumps are great for pulling material out of crevices. A crowbar can also be useful to pry open crevices and get to the material at the bottom.
Once you've pulled the material out from the crevice, you can dump it into a bucket to take home and process later, or you can put it directly into a sluice or gold pan at the creek.
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Gold panning and sluicing methods
Gold panning is a simple method of separating particles of greater specific gravity, especially gold, from soil or gravel by washing in a pan with water. The typical pan is a light but rugged circular metal dish with a flat bottom and sides that slope out at about 45°. Its inner surface must be smooth and free from grease and rust.
Gold panning involves washing gravel and sediments in a pan to separate gold particles. The pan is first filled halfway or so with gravel, soil, and rocks from places where the current is slower, such as downstream of boulders or on the inner side of bends in a stream. The pan is then immersed in the water, and the mixture is thoroughly wetted and stirred. Lumps of clay are broken up, and large stones are picked out. The pan, still underwater, is then given a combination of shaking and gyratory motion. This allows the heavy particles to settle and brings the lighter material to the surface. At intervals, the pan is tilted, and the light surface material is washed off. This process is continued until only heavy “black sands” and gold remain. The material is dried, and the gold is removed (perhaps after using a magnet to remove some of the black sand).
Sluicing is a highly efficient method for separating gold particles from gravel and sediments, surpassing the effectiveness of traditional gold panning. This technique utilizes specialized equipment known as a sluice box, which is a long and narrow channel outfitted with riffles or bars designed to capture gold. The process starts by setting up the sluice box in a stream or river, allowing water to flow through it. Gravel and sediments are then added, and the water is used to wash the material through the box.
Gold panning and sluicing are ultimately a matter of personal preference, skill level, and specific prospecting goals. Both methods can be successful in recovering gold with practice and knowledge of proper techniques.
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Gold-rich locations in Australia
Victoria is currently experiencing its second gold rush, with its 13 goldfields having produced over one million ounces of gold. Castlemaine, a town founded in 1851 during the gold rush, is one such location within the Victorian Golden Triangle where prospectors can still search for gold. The Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park allows gold prospecting to preserve the heritage of the region and caters to prospectors of all skill levels. The town of Maldon, less than a 20-minute drive from Castlemaine, also offers a glimpse into the past with its streetscape unchanged since the 1850s.
New South Wales, the most populated state in Australia, is another gold-rich destination. It was the site of one of the biggest gold rushes in 1851, which later extended to the province of Victoria. The Cadia-Ridgeway mine, a combination of underground and open-cut mines, is one of the state's notable gold-producing sites. Additionally, Oberon, west of Sydney, and Glen Innes, at the base of the Great Dividing Range, offer fossicking sites that yield gold, sapphires, zircon, and even diamonds.
Western Australia, known for its vast land mass and natural attractions, also presents opportunities for gold prospecting. The Kalgoorlie Boulder region, located in the WA Goldfields, was at the heart of the late 1800s gold rush in Western Australia. This region continues to be a draw for those interested in fossicking, with the visitor centre providing guides and local knowledge about the gold fields.
Jupiter Creek Diggings in South Australia is another notable location. While not as gold-rich as other states, this site has yielded enough new alluvial gold over the years to maintain its relevance. Jupiter Creek is one of the few prospecting locations in South Australia that is open to the public and permits fossicking with a permit.
In addition to these states, Tasmania also offers gold prospecting opportunities, although it has some of the strictest prospecting laws. With the right research and a Prospector's Licence, there may be Regional Reserves in Tasmania that allow prospecting.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need to purchase a Miner's Right if you are prospecting in Western Australia. This will authorise you to prospect on unoccupied crown land, a pastoral lease, a mining tenement, and a granted exploration licence. Gold hunting methods include gold panning, sluicing, and crevicing.
Crevicing is a method of extracting gold from cracks or crevices in a creek or riverbed. The cracks in the riverbed help capture gold from the surrounding gravels of the creek.
You can purchase crevicing kits from gold shops or gather your own tools, including screwdrivers, spoons, narrow scoops, small hand shovels, small sniffer bottles, and hand pumps.
There are many locations across Australia where you can search for gold, including Castlemaine, VIC, and Jupiter Creek Diggings, SA. You can also try your luck in the Warrego Fossicking Area, just outside of Tennant Creek, NT.
Look for greenstone and quartz, which indicate that the rock was hot enough to create the right conditions for gold to form. Also, look for old creek beds near current creeks as the creeks will change their course over time.
