Eureka Echo. MRSDA Review. Meeting with the Minister. Miners Have Another Reason to Join the PMAV. New PMAV Branches. in Clunes & Ballarat THE

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1 PROSPECTORS & MINERS THE Eureka Echo The Official Journal of the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria PMAV REG No A H Volume 31 No 1 - Summer 2012 MRSDA Review The Review of Victoria s mining legislation appears to have stalled, thankfully. It is better that nothing is done than have the proposed amendments proceed. The bureaucracy has shown a complete lack of understanding of the needs of the mining industry and it Meeting with the Minister A few days prior to the AGM, Geoff Strang and Rita Bentley met with the Resources Minister, Michael O Brien. The Minister was well-informed on PMAV issues and was amazed when we showed him a three ounce nugget. He commented that exploration companies are pleased when they find very small gold, nothing like prospectors nuggets! We reminded the Minister of the Coalition s pre-election commitments to the PMAV and that we expected these to be progressed in the near future. We have been informed by the Minister s office that we will get a progress report early Print Post Approved PP334385/00074 has ignored industry s protests and requests. We are looking to the Resources Minister to put some common sense back into Victoria s mineral legislation. The current proposals do not do this. Miners Have Another Reason to Join the PMAV All corporate members of the PMAV will qualify for free Note, this year s memberships expire on 30th June so you entry into a draw for 3 days geological consulting with Dr will need to renew your membership prior to 30th June or Allan Rossiter plus one free tenement processing by Noel for new members, you should pay the 50% required for Laidlaw by ensuring that your corporate membership of this year s membership plus next year s now. the PMAV is current as at 31st July Plus, Noel Laidlaw offers all PMAV members a 20% That s right, another bonus of being a PMAV member for discount on all consulting work. the mining sector. Work is limited to Victoria and other minor conditions apply. New PMAV Branches The Diggers Oath in Clunes & Ballarat We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each We are pleased to advise the establishment of the Goldfields Central Branch and the likely re-establishment other and fight to defend our rights and liberties. of the Ballarat Branch in March. Details of both branches are inside this Echo. The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 1

2 PMAV Conacts: President Rita Bentley Vice President Brian Bateson Secretary Wallace Young (03) Treasurer Geoff Strang Committee Tony Mills Bruce Brown Don Brereton (03) Mark Craig peter Maffey (03) andrew Bales East Gippsland Branch (Stratford): President Brian Bateson Vice-President Anthony Habben (03) Secretary Colin Seton Treasurer Jen Eaton (03) West Gippsland Branch (Drouin): President Alan Ramsdale (03) Vice-Pres Kevin Miller Sec peter McCluskey Treasurer Alan McFarlane North East Branch (Yackandandah): President: Bill Gleeson (03) Vice President Ken Every (03) Secretary Anne Gleeson (03) Treasurer Margaret Lyons (03) Melbourne Branch: Contact Mark Craig Grampians Branch: In Recess Goldfields Central Branch (Clunes) Co-ordinator Darren Kamp Ballarat Branch (Ballarat) Register your interest with Cordell Kent (03) Contact Us: GPO Box 1706, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 Fax No: (03) General inquiry number: Web: The Echo is published quarterly. Submission of material for content is welcome. For issue deadlines contact the editor, Rita Bentley on The Eureka Echo is distributed to PMAV members and other individuals and organisations with an interest in assisting and promoting mining and prospecting in Victoria. All editorial material in the Eureka Echo may be reproduced without permission, however acknowledgement would be appreciated. Disclaimer Opinions expressed are those of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Association. Persons acting on any opinion, advice, fact or advertisement published in this issue do so at their own risk. To Advertise in the Eureka Echo, phone Graphic Design by: Grampians Print and Design Ph (03) or Printed by: Finer Finish Printing Laverton. Ph (03) Other Contacts: Minerals Business Centre - (03) State Mining Warden - (03) Minerals Council Australia (Vic. Division) - (03) DSE and DPI general enquiries Parks Victoria Crime Stoppers YOU FIND IT, WE LL REFINE IT PETER W BEck PREcIOUs METaL services Refining Assaying Buying. Peter W Beck, Australia s largest and most trusted, privately owned gold refiner and assayer has, over the last 30 years, carved out a reputation for honesty, accuracy and reliability. For personal service, insured collection of your refining and further information, please call our Precious Metal Services team today. South Australia Sales Office 14 Duncan Court, Ottoway Park SA 5013, Australia Phone Toll Free Fax preciousmetals@pwbeck.com.au Brisbane Sales Office Suite 5, Level 4, 141 Queen Street, Brisbane QLD 4000, Australia Phone Fax brisbane@pwbeck.com.au Perth Sales Office Level 3, 105 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000, Australia perth@pwbeck.com.au PWB0033 page 2 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

3 President s Report I don t think I have ever been more proud of being PMAV President than at our AGM at Rushworth. Once again seeing the camaraderie and support for the Association and each other was magnificent. The respect and gratitude that members have for the committee and branch executives was also evident. Obviously our sponsors see value in being associated with the PMAV as they continue with their generous donations - year after year. There were several new additions to the sponsor list. Your association is well respected and supported. This is thanks to your committee, the branch executives and, of course, our membership. Simply, the PMAV is currently working very well. Congratulations and thank you to all of you. Our short film was a spectacular success at the AGM and is already being put to good use informing people about the realities of prospecting. This was the concept of Don Brereton who supervised the project from start to finish. A great job, congratulations Don. The beautiful flowers presented to David and I at the AGM were a lovely surprise. In addition to our specific concerns, in a most extraordinary step, the four main representative groups for the resource industry (including the PMAV) have written to Michael O Brien, the Resources Minister, asking for action in relation to re-establishing a viable resource industry. The Minister s reply assured us that he is aware of our joint concerns and is arranging a meeting for early in the new year. Your committee has every intention of making 2012 the year of positive steps for prospecting and mining. Personally, I am tired of fighting battles just to hang on to what we have. It is time that reality and fairness became part of the considerations and we made some significant advances. My apologies for not getting a fourth Echo into print in 2011, I had every intention of doing so but was kept busy with other matters beyond my control. Luckily Ray Swinnerton has agreed to help with future editions so, hopefully, they will be a little more timely! I hope you enjoy this bumper edition. Thank you once again for supporting me as your president for yet another year. As I said in my report to the AGM - I get my inspiration from you, the members - I couldn t do it without your support. Rita Bentley, PMAV President Maryborough Caravan Park 7-9 Holyrood Street, Maryborough Vic 3465 Phone Fax I think everyone in Rushworth knew we were coming and certainly laid out the red carpet. Special thank you to the Rushworth Prospecting Club for their groundwork for the day. The auction was a great financial success with around $12,000 being added to Association funds. So to the coming 12 months, we welcome a new vicepresident to the team. East Gippsland Branch president - Brian Bateson has decided to join us. As has Andrew Bales. You will read more about them inside this Echo. We are going to have our work cut out for us over the next 12 months. So what else is new? We have the ongoing minerals legislation review (which seems to have stalled), we are still working with government on the park access issue, dredging is firmly back on the agenda, as are many other issues. Be assured every dollar of your membership is well spent! It appears we may have to agitate a little to get some of those pre-election promises into reality. I know it is well recognised by the politicians that if we feel it is necessary to publicly agitate - we will. We shouldn t need to, we aren t asking for anything extraordinary - only what we have already been promised! Fully self-contained ensuite cabins to suit all budgets. Powered (some drive-thru) & unpowered sites with caravans & motorhomes of all sizes well catered for, with sunny sites during winter and shady sites in the summer. Park facilities include free electric BBQ, camp kitchen, children s playground, coin operated laundry & two clean amenities blocks. Situated on picturesque Lake Victoria and within walking distance to town centre. Special Rates available for Prospectors Every guest staying at the Maryborough Caravan Park is eligible to enter our SHOW US YA NUGGETS Competition All entries will go into the draw to win the grand prize of $1,000 to be spent at Coiltek Gold Centre - Maryborough. Phone: for more details The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 3

4 Book Reviews Metal Detecting for Gold in Australia This update of Metal Detecting for Doug Stone s GOLD book has two Doug in Australia Stone extra maps for Victoria and an extra three areas with maps for NSW. Some lesser known goldfields have now been mapped. There are some updates and new GPS references for the Northern Territory maps. The section on detectors has been updated with usage tips on the latest detectors. The section relating to relic hunting has been left out this time, giving total concentration on gold detecting. This book overall, as with all of Doug s books, is simply a must have book if you don t own the earlier version. Doug s books have helped many a novice and veteran detectorists to find gold - if you are after gold then this book is for you. Gold Atlas of Victoria This new book is not so much a book to read but a book of maps that will having you pondering hour after hour after hour, GOLD ATLAS wondering where to go of next and just which map will be the guide to that spot you have dreamed of. There are twenty seven maps covering Victoria s popular gold towns - including some previously unpublished maps. This OUTDOOR PRESS outdoorpress@bigpond.com book has to be the best way to keep your maps intact. Well done to Doug for combining this selection of maps all in one sturdy book and at a price that will make you think twice about buying large maps again. You know the type, those that once unfolded, you can never re-fold and even if you do succeed, they insist on getting lost in your car! Thankfully, this map book fits nicely in the rear seat pocket of most cars. My suggestion - buy one! DOUG STONE S Mark Craig Get the GPX Depth Advantage find more GOLD and DEEPER! These GPX detectors are Minelab s best ever... the new Fine Gold timing in the GPX 5000 will find very small gold grains in difficult ground conditions. August, 2010 Bruce Candy GPX Inventor and Chief Scientist Minelab Electronics Find out more about the NEW GPX or visit page 4 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

5 Small Miner Representation Those who attended the AGM will be aware that the ongoing representation of the mining sector by the PMAV was discussed. The Committee was heartened by the overwhelming support for continued representation. We are thankful that we have Noel Laidlaw to call on to do much of the work in relation to mining matters. Noel s knowledge and experience in this field is second to none! Yet again, we call on all small miners to support the only organisation that is representing your interests and we thank those who have already joined and those that continue to support us. Don t forget that every corporate level member as at 31st July 2012 will go into a draw for 3 days geological consulting with Dr Allan Rossiter and one tenement processing consultation with Noel Laidlaw. We sincerely thank Noel and Allan for their kindness and dedication to the mining community. Remember that all memberships are due on 1st July, so the best way to remember is to pay this year s (if you haven t already) and next year s membership now. Member s Story We had been in Maryborough for the weekend with friends for a relaxing sightseeing weekend. I did manage to sneak out for a few hours to the hill where I had detected a 2oz nugget, I thought the whole area had been well and truly over detected, obviously not as I detected 2 more nuggets from the slope; one being a nice chunky 8.9gm nugget, plus a handful of lead. Goes to show how easily gold can be missed and an area presumed detected. Bullumwaal Gold Mining Exhibition Day Date: Sunday 11 March 2012 Time: 10am 4.30pm Venue: Historic Bullumwaal Hall What to expect: Learn techniques and types of tools used by the experts to recover gold and gemstones; A Photographic exhibition of local mining activities; Displays of local gold and gemstones; Displays of gold and gemstone recovery equipment; Displays of interesting mining and associated record collections; Opportunity to have a go at gold panning; and Opportunity to reminisce with others having similar interests. Proudly hosted by the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria East Gippsland Branch BYO snacks as limited refreshments will be available. All enquiries contact Colin Seton on seton08@bigpond.com The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 5

6 News from the Department On 11th November 2011 a retirement function was held for two officers of the department who many PMAV members would have had contact with over the years. After 37 years in the Earth Resources (formerly Minerals and Petroleum) division of the department Kevin Nink has left to enjoy a well earned retirement. Kevin will be remembered by those who have either spoken to him or met him personally as a helpful, polite man whose expertise in mining and fossicking legislation was second to none. Kevin was always willing to help anyone who needed his extraordinary knowledge of the history of the legislative framework to do with mining. Kevin was possibly the most respected member of the Earth Resources Tenement staff both within and without the department. Happy Retirement Kevin (Editors note - Kevin advises we may just see him wandering the goldfields with detector in hand). The other officer leaving the department to enjoy a well earned retirement, was the Mining Registrar, Kim Ricketts. Kim was in the department for 17 years, and was usually the person who answered the phone when clients had queries about Miners Rights and mining licences. Kim was also for most of that period the administrator of Miners Rights and became something of an expert on fossicking in Victoria. Happy Retirement Kim Both Kevin and Kim were presented with tie pins containing small gold nuggets from the PMAV as they have been enormously helpful over the years with advice and information to the organisation, and been good friends to the small miners and prospectors of Victoria. In the future the administrator of Miner s Rights will be York Cook (phone ) ( york.cook@dpi. vic.gov.au) The Association will miss their friendship and assistance and wish both Kevin and Kim all the best for a full, healthy and lengthy retirement. Annual Buckland River Gathering of Branches The North East Branch is once again organising this now annual event. Full details are in this Echo. The Buckland weekend is always an enjoyable event so we encourage member support. More information can be obtained from any North East Branch executive member. IntroducIng the first LItz wire wound coil from coiltek manufacturing. The 14x9" Elliptical GoldSTalkEr BLITZ mono. Specifically wound for the new GPX5000 detector this coil, coupled with the FINE GOLD setting, has the potential to brighten up those faint targets, especially the smaller pieces at depths only seen on the new GPX5000. The coils ability utilises the already popular shape and size of the 14x9" coil providing excellent manoeuvrability and sensitivity for pinpointing and depth. Size: 348mm x 225mm Weight: 695g / 24.8oz Litz wire wound Specifically manufactured for the GPX5000 Heightened target response and clarity Robust and lightweight design Elliptical shape for best manoeuvrability Easy pinpointing Good depth with excellent sensitivity BLITZ SErIES Results from the field... I jumped at the chance to field test a 14x9" GoldSTalkEr Blitz series mono. With 30 years of experience, I am very particular about the performance of any coil I use and the 14x9" GoldSTalkEr Blitz series mono ticks all the boxes for me. I found it to be stable and very sensitive on small targets, along with amazing depth on larger targets. I found a sub gram nugget in medium to heavy mineralised ground at 8" and a solid signal 6 feet away produced an 1816 George III shilling at 14" deep. I used the 14x9" GoldSTalkEr Blitz mono for a day on areas I have searched for years. The number of musket balls, bullets, and other junk targets along with 4 nuggets and the shilling, pleasantly surprised me. The 14x9" Blitz series mono will be a winner in many areas. Sensitive, stable and light weight, I m hooked! COILTEK Manufacturing 5 Mengel Court, Salisbury South, South Australia T page 6 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

7 AGM When the committee chose Rushworth as the venue for the AGM, we weren t sure how it would be received by members. It is a little further for many members to travel and it is out of the central goldfields. Well, we needn t have worried at all. Almost 150 members turned out for the meeting and the bush was full of people metal detecting and panning prospectors. Many members made lucky finds over the weekend too. The people of Rushworth certainly made us feel welcome with the Eureka flag flying over the venue, the Campaspe Shire displaying some of their priceless maps, the Rushworth Prospecting Club organising everything from seating to afternoon tea. It all went like clockwork. Except for the rooster outside the back of the hall who did its best to drown out Geoff Strang s treasurer s report! Wallace Young Ray Swinnerton was recognised by Rita Bentley when she awarded him her 2011 President s Award for his contribution to the pictorial record of the current generation of miners. At the end of the day, Ray gave Rita another CD full of photos of the weekend. This will be kept in the Association archives. After the AGM we turned the hall into a mini-cinema and watched the World Premiere of our movie. The stars of the show turned out to sign autographs (but funnily none were requested). Don Brereton was escorted to his directors chair after a walk on the red carpet and through an honour guard of detectors. We then went into our auction of goods that were an amazing example of the generosity of our supporters. Following all that, we relaxed, enjoyed a barbecue and glass of wine and enjoyed each other s company. A full, but fantastic day! Maybe those who didn t attend in 2011 will now be more inclined to come in 2012! Dermot Henry from Museum Victoria gave a fantastic talk on gold nuggets. I think many of us would happily listen through that talk again. So much information presented in such an easily absorbable format. One of our best speakers ever. Wallace Young lost more hair trying (and succeeding) to organise everything for us, including technology, displays, paperwork, drinks and more. Wallace, thank you, you did a flawless job! Noel Laidlaw BA(Hons) Grad.Dip. (Mining, Master of Engineering Science (Mining) Mining Engineering including Feasibility Studies, Costings and Mine Management All aspects of DPI Mining Titles and Applications Work Plans Planning and other Statutory Requirements Mining Warden s Court Representation Special Rates for PMAV Members noel_laidlaw@dodo.com.au Telephone: (03) or Mobile The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 7

8 PMAV 31st Anniversary Sponsors page 8 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

9 2011 John Winter Award We are very pleased to advise that Kevin Hillier is the recipient of the 2011 John Winter Award. In typical Kevin style he insisted that he didn t deserve the Award. Your Committee is sure he does. Kevin is always ready to help the Association. When we ask him for assistance he never turns us down. He has been a dedicated member for an exceptionally long time. Congratulations Kevin. Other nominees were Allan Rossiter, John Munn and Steve Dingwall. All of whom have dedicated much time and passion to the work of the PMAV. Vale Sadly, we advise members of the passing of Mrs Kath Ward, the widow of PMAV Life Member, Fred Ward (dec.) Kath was of great support to Fred during his lifetime campaigns on behalf of dredgers and against poor land management and the resultant fire dangers. Our sincere condolences to the Ward family. Membership Time Okay, if you haven t paid your membership by now it is time to pay up. No more sponging off others. You will find a membership application in this Echo. If you are one of those people who forgets to pay, why not take up our 5 year membership option? This applies to those who regularly pick up a free copy of the Eureka Echo from retail outlets. We provide these for newcomers to the industry, not for freeloaders. If you enjoy reading the Echo, why not join up? Your conscience will feel better. New Branch in Ballarat? Cordell Kent and Neville Callaby are keen to re-establish the Ballarat Branch but need the support of members to do this. A meeting to gauge interest in branch reestablishment is to take place at the Old Colonists Club, 20 Lydiard St North, Ballarat. The Club is located above the RF Scott and Co Gun Shop. The meeting will start at 7pm on Wednesday 7th March, Those requiring more information or who can offer assistance should contact Cordell on or mail@thegoldshop.com.au Cordell asked us to advise members that he is not in a position to play a leading role in the branch but is keen to support those willing to do so. The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 9

10 Where Does the Gold Go? Reprinted from the Wall Street Journal, 18th Nov 2011 Total central-bank gold purchases in the third quarter more than doubled from the second quarter and were almost seven times higher than a year earlier as countries continued to diversify reserves, according to a World Gold Council report. At metric tons, gold buying among central banks was at the highest since the sector became a net buyer of the precious metal in the second quarter of 2009, according to the quarterly report. Central banks and other official institutions, by comparison, had bought 66.5 tons of gold in the second quarter and 22.6 tons in the third quarter of The World Gold Council, an industry association representing 22 gold miners, attributed the acceleration in central-bank demand to concerns over the creditworthiness of Western governments, as sovereign-debt troubles remained in the spotlight. While one can account for some of the purchases from Thailand, Bolivia, Russia, etc. there is an unaccounted amount out there. A clue probably lies in the fact that a lot of buying has been from central banks that have been in surplus, [in regions] like Asia, Central Asian and Latin America, said Mr. Grubb, who expects the unknown buyers likely will be made public in coming months. Central-bank purchases by developing countries have been increasing in recent years as those nations diversify holdings, partly because of rising foreignexchange reserves through export-led growth but also, more recently, as a reaction to the sovereign-debt crises affecting traditional reserve currencies like the U.S. dollar. Before 2009, however, central banks had been net sellers of gold bullion for about two decades. The central bank of Russia, a regular buyer from its domestic market, continued its long-term program of gold accumulation during the three-month period. Its third-quarter gold purchases amounted to 15 tons, taking its total holdings to about 852 tons, the council said. Still, the association said while a number of countries continued to buy gold, a slew of new entrants emerged wishing to bolster their gold holdings in order to diversify their reserves. In Bolivia, gold reserves rose by 14 tons, while Thailand also stepped up its buying, adding 25 tons to its holdings. According to the World Gold Council s figures, the sector purchased tons of the metal in the first three quarters of the year. This is an incredible number when you compare to last year. If buying continues at this pace, I wouldn t rule out 400 to 500 tons [of gold being purchased by central banks] this year, Mr. Grubb said. The WGC said it expects growth in central-bank gold demand to continue into From: html page 10 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

11 Prospecting Help in Ballarat Ballarat Minelab Dealer, E.E Day and Sons have recently made significant changes to its display of gold and metal detectors and associated equipment. They now carry a comprehensive range of Commander, Coiltek and Nugget Finder Coils as well as prospecting picks, river and two tiered sluices, sieves, sand scoops and manual hand dredges. There is also a large range of books, maps, DVD s and accessories from hipsticks, snake guards, sheep skin covers, external speakers, boosters, batteries and headphones. Mark at E.E Day & Sons Ballarat tells us that he is always pleased to welcome PMAV members. New Branches Congratulations to Darren and Leanne Kamp who started the new Goldfields Central PMAV branch in Clunes. Not to forget the work of Cordell Kent who is determined to reconvene the Ballarat Branch. Now it is up to the local members to ensure the branches are successful. VEAC News We received the following from the Victorian Environment Assessment Council On Thursday 24 November 2011, the Victorian Government tabled and publicly released its response to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) Remnant Native Vegetation Investigation. VEAC s Final Report for the Investigation was submitted to the Hon Ryan Smith MP, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, in March You can access the Government response and associated media release through links on the VEAC website www. veac.vic.gov.au. Please note that it is not VEAC s role to receive comments or answer questions on the Government s response. This is to inform you that it is now available. Thank you for your interest in the Remnant Native Vegetation Investigation. PMAV comment - The Coalition Government, must do something about this behind the times, overly-green organisation which is totally out of touch with sensible land management BALLARAT GOLD & METAL DETECTOR SALES & HIRE E.E DAY & SONS 822 HOWITT STREET, BALLARAT LARGE RANGE OF ACCESSORIES, COILS, PICKS, PANS SLUICES, MAPS & BOOKS PH: (03) dayson@ncable.net.au FREE $100 GOLD TOUR VOUCHER WITH EVERY GPX5000 DETECTOR SOLD! The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 11

12 Climate Change Our friend and supporter, Prof Ian Plimer writes an article exclusively for the Echo. Australia now has a Carbon Tax, maybe forever or maybe until a change of government. In the cacophony of bulldozing 19 bills through parliament, a few fundamentals were conveniently avoided. Climate has always changed, nothing we measure today is unusual and there has been 330 years of warming since the Little Ice Age. Which part of this 330-year warming is natural and which part was of human origin? Even the last 150 years of temperature measurement shows three periods of warming and three periods of cooling over 30-year cycles during an overall warming trend. The rate of warming in the three warming events is unchanged suggesting an invisible human influence. During the planet s history, there have been 6 ice ages and each of these ice ages started when the atmospheric carbon dioxide content was higher than now showing that carbon dioxide in the past has not driven global warming. Why should it drive global warming now when the atmospheric carbon dioxide content is low? The IPCC state that only 3% of the annual emissions of carbon dioxide are of human origin and the remaining 97% is natural. No one has yet demonstrated that the 3% drives global warming and the 97% does not. Ice cores show that temperature increases some 800 years before carbon dioxide increases showing that temperature drives the atmospheric carbon dioxide content. Why are the public not told that carbon dioxide is plant food, that it is not poisonous, that it is not pollution and it is constantly sequestered from the atmosphere into sediments to form limestone (44% carbon dioxide) and carbon-bearing sediments? No climate change advocate has been able to explain the Medieval, Roman and Minoan warmings. If these were natural, why is the current warming not natural? During these times, sea level did not rise, the temperature was higher than now and people did not die like flies. It was the inverse; prosperity and population increased. No activists inform the public that the current interglacial is not nearly as warm as previous interglacials. No climate activist speaks the truth: global temperatures are decreasing yet the atmospheric carbon dioxide content is increasing hence carbon dioxide is not driving global warming. And, we re told that carbon dioxide is a trace gas (0.039%), human activities add traces to the trace gas and Australia s decrease in emissions of 5% will only decrease global temperature by C. The temperature change between breakfast and lunch is ten thousand times higher than this. Do any of our highly-paid climate commissioners wonder why there are old beaches mined for mineral sands up to 800 km inland and 100 m above present sea level. We have been conned, science has been abused and we will pay dearly. Professor Ian Plimer s book How to get expelled from school (Connor Court) has recently been released. It is a series of 101 questions for pupils, punters and parents to ask teachers, politicians, activists and broadcasters on climate change to show that children in school are being fed environmental activist propaganda. UNIQUE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR SALE A well known Gold Prospecting supply outlet situated in Central Victorian Goldfields. Income derived from retail, import, export, wholesale, mail order and hire. Included is Australian Distribution Rights and Agencies for leading brand products. Established website and online store achieving sales 24/7. Sold as going concern or could be relocated anywhere within Australia. Owner wants to retire. Optional training and support to new owner if required. Contact Tony for more detailed information on info@goldsearchaustralia.com page 12 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

13 Our New Vice-President Brian Bateson tells us a little about himself. I started my working life with the Bureau of Meteorology where I worked for 6 years at various Met offices around Australia. This time included being involved in setting up Australia s first satellite forecasting system. After a bit of retraining I joined the Road Traffic Authority as an Enforcement Officer, Investigator and Prosecutor based in Melbourne, Shepparton and finally as Supervising Inspector in charge of compliance in East Gippsland. I represented the RTA as prosecutor in excess of 4000 cases over 25 years and served on several working parties drafting legislation such as the Transport Act and Road Safety Act. I am the current President of the East Gippsland Branch and have been an active gold prospector for 50 years. And our new Committee Member At the age of four I began searching through gravel on the side of the road for glimmers of gold and started panning in the creeks around our family farm at St Arnaud in Victoria s Golden Triangle. In my early teens I started using a Whites 5000 and after I left school I purchased a new Minelab GT from Barrie Maggs in Bendigo. I went on to experience the heady days of Minelab s SD Series of detectors; it was a great time to be prospecting. My passion for prospecting continued and culminated in an Honours Degree in Geology from the University of Ballarat. I worked in mining for some years before moving in the refractory industry. I have now returned to mining and currently work as a Geologist for a consultancy company called Mining Plus, based in their Melbourne office. I am very passionate about prospecting and mining and appreciate both activities. My aim as a committee member is to keep the great activities of prospecting and mining alive. I want to increase the profile of the PMAV by ensuring government and various user groups have a clearer understanding of who we are and what we are about and how much we really do care for the environment. I am very proud to be part of the PMAV and look forward spending time with a great bunch of people and flying the flag for a great association. The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 13

14 PROSPECTORS & MINERS Film Reviews N We have received rave reviews of the PMAV s DVD Prospecting in the 21st Century. At time of going to print there had been over 2400 views on YouTube and we have distributed almost 400 copies of the DVD. We look forward to a change of attitude to prospecting in some areas as people now understand the realities of what we do. The Department of Primary Industries has kindly put a link on their website to the YouTube location. Thank you to those involved at DPI. A selection of comments on the film follows: Watched the video and thought it had a good professional feel to it. I will include mention of the video and the link to YouTube in the next available issue of the magazine. Gold Gem & Treasure Dear Rita On behalf of DPI, I would like to acknowledge and thank yourself and the PMAV for your continuous work in the area of promoting prospecting to the 21st Century ProsPeCting in ViCtoria Presented by the PMAV ~ Minelab Wedderburn Detector Jamboree 10 & 11 March 2012 Hard Hill Tourist Reserve Victorian Labour Day Long Weekend Come to Wedderburn: Find a token, enter the draw to win a Minelab GPX 5000 valued at $6,700 Other major prizes are donated by Coil Tek, and a Gold Nugget donated by Wedderburn Tourism Inc. Cost: $40.00 for the weekend including breakfast & entertainment on the Saturday evening Free Detector demonstrations by Gold Prospecting Australia Lifestyle in Loddon Photography Exhibition by students from The University of Melbourne at the Coachhouse Gallery & Museum Food & Drinks on sale all weekend Sunday Inglewood & Districts Community Bendigo Bank Junior Gold Panning Competition. This event is open to children from 3yrs to 16yrs Other events: Monster Market (19 High Street) and local tourist attractions For further information: or Loddon Visitor Information Centre. (03) community of Victoria. Your short film (which we have placed a link to on our external web) gives a great insight into prospecting. Congratulations again on the short film, it is a great endorsement for prospecting. David Boothroyd Acting Director Earth Resources Regulation, DPI Great video, really gets the point home that ordinary voters going about their hobby actually work with and protect the environment. My disappointment was that in the opening and closing shots of you, I could not see my book on your bookshelf behind your left shoulder. Best wishes, Prof Ian Plimer. I thought the video was very well done. My only suggestion would be to also promote prospecting as a hobby for younger generations as well. Working in a prospecting store I am well aware that the majority of our customers are either retired or looking to retire in the near future. However we often do get younger people in store enquiring about the hobby as well as young families looking to do something that they can all get involved in. I realise that the video was mostly aimed at showing people that prospecting is environmentally friendly and low impact, but if you promote prospecting as an activity that all generations can get involved in then I believe you also promote it as being sustainable. I think inevitably it will be the younger generations that will have to be convinced as they are the current and future decision makers and are becoming more and more environmentally aware and often overly sensitive to anything that has any effect on the environment. This is just a suggestion and I am certainly no expert on the subject but I am still quite young myself and can see the potential for prospecting as being promoted as a pastime for all ages. Miners Den Melbourne Great job with the video. Robert Craig, NZ. That s an excellent video. I thought the point about prospectors cleaning up the forests by removing unwanted pieces of metal (and other objects) was something that you normally don t think about (that should be promoted strongly!). It would be good if the video could be shown by TV stations to reach a larger audience. I can certainly see why people get attracted to gold prospecting. Hopefully there will be more videos to inform people about the various aspects of prospecting. Kevin N. Quite professional and informative in a gentle sort of way. Pushed the green message but I guess that s important these days. Well done. Pru H. That was very good Rita. Makes me want to go prospecting again. Viv Forbes That s cool. I will pass it on. Linda McColl Really enjoyed viewing the video. Well done. Errol What a great film to promote prospecting and give a positive message to the community. The filming and editing was terrific. Whoever made it did a fantastic job. John Mc We thought the YouTube video was very good. As more page 14 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

15 and more people are using the internet it s the way to go for communicating to reach a broad number of people. We are actually in the process of doing the same. One thing we thought is of promoting it to the younger generation as well as we are also trying to get families interested in the hobby. Natalie Michels, Coiltek Manufacturing Great Video Rita. Well done to you and the Management of the PMAV. in the organisation of the video. I hope now this will educate some of our Pollies in what we really do and how we are looking after the environment and the bush while doing our hobby. Bill Schulz Its brilliant... Well done!!! Monika E. Thank you for forwarding this YouTube video to me I really enjoyed it especially the clearly sympathetic perspectives that prospectors have for the bush. We appreciated the opportunity to sponsor the PMAV AGM and thank you for recognising that on your sponsors board. Trevor Miles, Parks Victoria. I really enjoyed that clip. Well done on a really positive message. It clearly shows prospecting as a hobby that has a positive environmental impact with a strong sense of history and community that delivers economic and social values to regional towns. Christopher Collins, VR Fish Just watched your YouTube video. Great effort. I especially thought the link between tourism and prospecting was made quite well, which is so important. Pierre Andipatin, DPI Panhandlers Corner Panning NZ Hi to all Panhandler Corner readers. I have just returned from Queenstown in New Zealand where they held the gold panning championships. The setting at Cromwell was awesome. Cromwell is about 40 kms from Queenstown. The weather was very kind to us. The event was well set up and very well run, with full credit going to the organisers. There were visitors from Finland, Kauko Launonen, who helped give out the trophies, along with David and Amanda Gatward-Ferguson, Annie Fitzgerald of Oceana Gold and me. David took first place in the mens with me as runner up. I managed to take out the New Zealand Open Championship, bringing the trophy home to Australia for the first time. Retrieving the gold was made harder by the black sand in the gravel and the fact that they used very thin gold pieces. This just made it that more challenging. I would also mention that 2012 is their 150-year gold discovery celebration. It will be quite a championship and of course, very special to our New Zealand cousins. I recommend that anyone that is interested start making plans now to attend the championships. It is not only the panning that is of interest but the entertaining events that Queenstown and surrounding areas offer. On the first day of my trip, I went to Skippers Canyon by 4wd. It was an awesome jaw-dropping trip - courtesy of Nomad Safaris Tours. I can t say enough about the beauty of the South Island. The food was magnificent, as were the friendly locals. If you would like information about next year s events please me at mulga@dcsi.net.au and I will relay any info as I receive it. Meanwhile, keep on panning. Regards to all, Tom Calvert. Tom&Friend COMBINED BRANCHES CAMP AT THE BUCKLAND. Our North East branch extends a very warm welcome to all other branches to share their camp at The Buckland on the weekend of 30/31 March & 1 April 2012, and beyond. Last year was the first combined branches camp and it proved to be such an outstanding success that the camp will now be an annual event. This is an excellent site that can accommodate quite a few caravans and tents. Last year we had approximately 60 members with 28 camps. The site also has about seven steel camp BBQ s and fireplaces. There is a long drop and the camp is well maintained. Due to so much rain during the year, this will be an excellent opportunity to pan and sluice for gold in the river. Partners and children most welcome (No Greenies!). Day trips for those not interested in prospecting are great, eg. Bright, Myrtleford, Wangaratta, Albury etc and plenty of wineries in the district. Plus THE SHED on the outskirts of Bright which is choc-a-block with goodies for the big boys (and girls too of course). They also have a lovely café there. We look forward to seeing as many as can make it. Bill Gleeson Branch President DIRECTIONS: at Porepunkah Roundabout take the Buckland outlet. Keep going about 13 kms on Buckland River Road. When you reach the cemetery keep going two and a half kms. It is the first camping site on the left hand side. There is a wooden toilet visible from the road. There is a sign AH YUNG S FLAT on the left hand side at the camp site. The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 15

16 Panhandlers Corner From Western Australia The Western Australian gold panning championships were held at Ora Banda in October last year. Competitors from as far as the Snowy Mountains, Victoria s Golden Triangle and Queensland travelled to compete, Cranston Edwards EGPA President and head of the organising committee said this was the most successful to date with 18 heats filled and completed running 8 people in each heat. Cranston also set up his Spiral gold wheel on the day to demonstrate how gold can be extracted from rivers and wash and to retrieve the lost gold which amounted to around 5%,quite low loss considering the amount of new virgin gold panners competing in the events. Many competitors demonstrated panning techniques with speed pans and traditional pans. A nugget hunt was held with metal detectors seeking tokens in the old racecourse. Prizes totaling $5000 were up for grabs including custom hand-made knives, GPS units, detector coils, gold nuggets, gold nugget jewellery. All juniors received prizes. APLA s monster raffle was held the night before in the Ora Banda pub where Scott Wilson presented an informative talk on the ghost towns in the region around Kalgoorlie. Rodney Rocket Melham recorded the fastest panning time of the day and was also the winner of the Open WA final. Janet Mears won event for women s skilled, Caite McKay won the juniors event. Many thanks to all the sponsors who helped ensure we had a successful event and that competitors went home not only with trophies but prizes directly linked to gold, gold and gold. APLA have been asked to hold the event annually. We will need the continued support of sponsors and the many volunteers who helped set up and organized numerous tasks that made the event possible The next panning event is likely to include a division for novice panners who haven t competed before. We hope this is an incentive for more people to learn and enjoy the skill of gold panning. APLA and EGPA would like to sincerely thank attendees, the generous sponsors, participants and the many helpers of this community event. Cranston Edwards, President - Eastern Goldfields Prospecting Association. GOLD WANTED NATURAL GOLD NUGGETS & GOLD CRYSTALS (ALL SIZES & WEIGHTS) EARLY MINING MAPS & BOOKS, TOOLS & EQUIPMENT... Gold Bought Daily... PREMIUM PRICES PAID FOR PREMIUM PIECES. FOR LARGE PARCELS PLEASE RING IN ADVANCE. OPEN MONDAY SATURDAY, 10.00AM 5.00PM AUSTRALIAN NATIVE GOLD PTY. LTD. A.B.N trading as THE MINING EXCHANGE GOLD SHOP 8 LYDIARD STREET NORTH BALLARAT 3350 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE/FACSIMILE: SKYPE: CORDELL9999 page 16 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

17 Victorian Gold Panning Championships The 2011 Victorian Goldpanning Championships were held on Sunday 9th October at the Central Deborah Tourist mine in Bendigo. Although the day started in freezing conditions just to prove that Ballarat doesn`t have that all to themselves the day fined up (although the water didn`t ). GOLD BUYING & REFINING! Competition Well Underway at Bendigo. As the Central Deborah Mine held an open day in conjunction with the championships, there were a large number of spectators, several of whom had a go at competitive panning. There were the heats for individuals in both standard pans (open event) and in the Classic Eureka pan celebrating the spirit of the old-timers by using the same steel gold pan they used from the 1850 s on. There was a team s event and a novelty event using the Batea pan which is used in the World Goldpanning Championships as the Classic pan. Results of the events and winners are listed below. Australian Gold Panning Championships Please note in your calendar the 2012 Australian Goldpanning Championships are to be held in Ballarat at Lake Wendouree on Monday the 12th March (Labour Day) with practice on the Sunday afternoon. Geoff Strang, Secretary/Treasurer Victorian Goldpanning Association 2011 Results Category 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place Winning Time Under 12 Sam Cox Hannah Lewon Patrick Binks Youth's - u/16 Hamish Cox Caleb Cropley Connor Jordan Novice Ebony Dempster Tom Cherry Dot MacDonald Batea Matt 'the Tailor' Lester Fisher Tom Calvert Teams Cox Boys 'Peewee' Gold Ballan Bushrangers Skilled Tom Calvert Lester Fisher Ian Binks Central Deborah Ian Binks Tom Calvert Kevin Lockman Victorian Champion 2011 Ian Binks Mines Gold (Alluvial, Nuggets) Scrap Bullion Buyer Speedy Returns Cash or Cheque Lic S/Hand Dealer No DEDICATED TO PERSONAL SERVICE Talk to us to arrange a free pick-up & delivery service FIND OUT WHY MORE MINERS AND PROSPECTORS AUSTRALIA WIDE ARE USING OUR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE POST TO: SBA AMALGAMATED P/L 37 Holloway Drive, Bayswater VIC 3153 Ph: (03) Fax: (03) TOLL FREE: La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 17

18 EXPLORATION DRILLING AND SAMPLING TO 100 METRES: We do Down Hole Hammer RAB drilling and dust collection providing economical and reliable sampling particularly suitable to scout drilling and proving Resources. Our 5 tonne air track mounted rig can access and drill undeveloped and difficult sites with minimal site disturbance. Drilling a 100mm hole using 76mm external flush rods provides high return air velocity, good sample return and minimal dilution in competent rock to about 100 metres. Returns are bagged in 1 metre intervals which can be visually inspected during drilling and split for laboratory analysis. BLEG assay of a selected interval for gold provides a reliable estimate of bulk grades eliminating the nugget factor inherent in fire assays. The reliability of RAB returns in very wet holes and holes deeper than about 100 metres are compromised. In these circumstances Reverse Circulation drilling may be a more reliable but more expensive alternative. WATER BORE CONSTRUCTION, PUMP SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION: We divine for water and construct bores in consolidated rock. Bores are drilled to 140mm, cased with 100 mm Class 12 PVC to accommodate 3 inch bore pumps with a nominal capacity up to 4 litres/sec. Pumps are available with 240 volt, solar and wind power supply. VISIT or CONTACT US TO DISCUSS YOUR REQUIREMENTS: RICHARD DARBY BOB LYNCH (Vic. Drillers Lic. 814) Phone: boblynch@bigpond.com Phone: PO Box 32 Swifts Creek Vic 3896 PO Box 297 Newport Beach NSW 2106 Mines of Stirling pty. Ltd. ABN page 18 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

19 Changes at the Minerals Council We have been advised of an important staff change at the Victorian Division of the Minerals Council (aka Chamber of Mines). Long time Chief Executive, Chris Fraser has decided to retire. Megan Davison has been appointed as his replacement. We wish Chris well in his retirement and look forward to continuing the sound working relationship that the PMAV has enjoyed with the Council for many years. PMAV Badges A reminder that PMAV Badges are now available. Price (including postage within Australia) is $7.20. If you would wish to order more than one, please contact Peter Maffey on (03) Badges are also available at branch meetings. PMAV Membership Application 2011/2012 Application Renewal Please mark relevant box with a X To renew your membership or to join the PMAV please complete this application and forward it with your payment to: PMAV, GPO Box 1706, Melbourne, Vic., 3001 or (if paying by credit card) fax to First Name. Surname. Address... Town or City.. Post Code... Occupation (if retired previous) Tel.no . Signature Date Are you a member of a prospecting club? Yes / No Membership fees for are: Individual and/or Immediate Family $50.00 or Individual Pensioner and/or Immediate Family (Pensioner Concession Card Holders Only) $30.00 If joining after 31 st December, please pay 50% for membership to 30th June, You are welcome to pay your membership up to 5 years in advance. Business, Club or Corporate entity $ (NOTE This membership does not cover individual members within the club or business) Payment options: Cheque or Postal Order to PMAV or for credit card payment: Please circle VISA MASTERCARD Card number Expiry date / Name on card Amount of payment Signature Would you please consider adding a few dollars to your payment? We always need and appreciate donations The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 19

20 Club News A Geelong club member was very lucky recently when he uncovered this beautiful gold half-sovereign near Rushworth. And, this unusual badge was found near Maryborough by a member of the Bendigo Prospectors Club. Letters to the Editor To all PMAV members My last day in the Department was 24th November I have been working in various jobs in Earth Resources (formerly Minerals and Petroleum) now for 17 years, for most of that time as the Victorian Mining Registrar. During that time I have met and spoken to many small miners and hundreds of fossickers. I would like to thank all of my friends in the small mining industry and those who fossick as a hobby, for the many interactions we have had over the last 17 years. I would especially like to pay tribute to Rita Bentley. I believe Rita is the most effective lobbyist that you could possibly have. She is held in great respect in the Department for her commitment to your interests, and although at times she and I have been on opposite sides over some issues we have always respected one another s opinions and remain good friends. I would like to thanks the PMAV for the beautiful tie pin which Rita presented to me at my retirement function and assure you that I will wear it with pride. Yours Very Sincerely, Kim Ricketts Rita and colleagues, I just wanted to say thank you for your very kind comments at my sendoff. It was a great day and I could not have asked for a better sendoff. It has been a real pleasure to know you and also to deal with the PMAV over many years. Your organisation plays page 20 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

21 an extremely important role in preserving the rights of prospectors and miner s in Victoria and I am glad to see it has a president as enthusiastic and competent as yourself. I hope the PMAV continues to prosper in the years ahead (I am sure it will). Also, thank you very much for the gold nugget brooch. I have always wanted a piece of gold and this is the first piece I have ever had. I have a small collection of minerals in a cabinet at home and the brooch will be a great addition to the collection. It was a very thoughtful gift. Kevin Nink I have been a member of PMAV for a number of years now. When I received a notification regarding AGM at Rushworth, it contained a preliminary list of items to be auctioned. At the bottom of that list was a thank you note to all the generous sponsors. Over the years of my membership I have been consistently gob smacked by the dedication, application, and sheer persistence you and your committee have applied to tasks which at times must seem almost insurmountable. Could I now say a huge thank you to you for the dedication you apply to your elected position and I am certain, without doubt, we as a sometimes ( although not often ) struggling association would not be as recognized as we are without your skilled leadership and dedication. Kind Regards, Neil Dempster. SOLE AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR SALES HIRE REPAIRS Large selection of second hand MINELAB detectors, picks, gold field maps, and books 76 BROADWAY, DUNOLLY VIC 3472 LOCATED OPPOSITE TOWN HALL PHONE: (03) FAX: (03) info@goldsearchaustralia.com These Supporting accounts your are community good for your association s is easy as prospects 1, 2, 3. Bendigo Bank is supporting the Prospectors and Miners Association as part of our commitment to helping the local community. So as well as enjoying the Bendigo way of banking which includes face-to-face service, longer opening hours and the full range of products and services, you can earn a donation for your association. Simply quote the referrer number 816 when you take out a selected banking product. For more information please contact your local branch, phone or visit Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited, The Bendigo Centre, Bendigo, VIC ABN AFSL (S19881) (07/08) The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 21

22 GOLD PROSPECTING AUSTRALIA The Australian Gold Tour Specialists All inclusive or Tag Along Come join us for the experience of a lifetime, prospecting for gold in the real Australian Outback, or the Golden Triangle of Victoria Personalised tuition, using the latest Minelab technology Over 30 years prospecting/detecting experience FOR MORE INFORMATION PHONE Fully Accredited Gold Prospecting Advert /9/08 2:10:37 PM page 22 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

23 Editors Choice Photos While we are seeking the reintroduction of dredging, this is NOT what we had in mind. This monster machine is operating in New Zealand. This bottle has been in a cellar for a while, 20 years on we wonder how it tasted. Francine Gilbert again helped entertain us during the auction The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 23

24 Around the Branches North East (Yackandandah) Talbot Field Trip: We had good weather over at Talbot. Unfortunately it was a small gathering, but none the less all enjoyed themselves. In total we had nine in attendance. Winston found some nice colour in the creek, but detecting of gold nuggets was nil. Welcome to New Members:: We welcome David & Paula Ridley from Leneva, Mark, Angie McGuire and their family from Wodonga, Barb & Tim Wheeler from Tarcutta NSW and Bernie & Rita Cooper from Bundalong all who have recently joined our branch. We are sure that they will enjoy many outings with us. Whipstick Field Trip: We had a good camp site in Whipstick Park. The weather was okay during the days with a few showers at night and early morning. Fourteen were in attendance and a very enjoyable long weekend was had by all. Nothing like a community camp fire where we all sat around each night and talked about and solved the world s problems. PMAV AGM at Rushworth: We had a good roll up at the Whroo camp ground. We gave the area out there a good flogging but to no avail. One member did produce a 17 gram beaut nugget from the area!!! At the camp we had 18 members and we were very happy that 13 of those members made it to the AGM. I think that the AGM auction and BBQ is a winner. silverside, ham and salami. Each member brought along a salad and dessert to share on the table. There was such a wonderful array that suggestions were made for each member to hand in their recipe for a future recipe book. After dinner the game of Celebrity Heads was conducted with much hilarity. The camp fire was great (as all members were asked to bring some wood with them) and the weather perfect. Kris Kringle followed with Santa appearing with a huge sack of pressies for all present. Bags of lollies were given to the children.) Members travelled each day to the Buckland for panning and/or sluicing. Our favourite spots had gone thanks to the huge amount of rain early this year. After a couple of days of searching we finally got onto a few spots where the gold had been trapped which was pleasing and will be great for the next trip. A lot of fun had by all over the weekend. I think that for our branch, this was the event of the year PS - We are now starting to plan for the combined-branches Field Trip to the Buckland during March 2012 as we have many requests to keep this an annual event. Phone us for further details. So, wishing everyone all the best for Bill Gleeson Branch President Branch meets Yackandandah Senior Citizens, Wellsford St, Yackandandah - bi-monthly third Wednesday. Maffra Showgrounds in December. The weather was not great but the number of members who tested their skill this year was still up on last year. The event featured a Le Mans start with Johno The Great starting off a 10 metre handicap. The 2011 champion was Peter (Checkmate) Marran. I understand the NSW mob are still looking or lost in the showgrounds. Detecting Championship Participants On the Labour Day long weekend in March, the branch will hold its third Gold Expo at the historic mining town of Bullumwaal. Our Expo will take place at the local hall on Sunday 11th of March and will feature displays of gold mining equipment in operation, static displays of local memorabilia and of course local gold. The weekend will provide a great chance for prospectors from other areas in the state to see this extensive gold producing area and all members are invited to attend. Finally I would like to wish all members a happy Brian Bateson, Branch President Branch meets RSL Hall, Stratford - last Thursday of each month. West Gippsland (Drouin) Branch East Gippsland (Stratford) Christmas Get-Together: We had a In this report I would wonderful Christmas Get-Together The East Gippsland like to reflect on the at Porepunkah on the weekend of Branch held our past year. Sadly branch 12th/13th November. There were 15 Christmas break-up members Allan Barr caravans and a total of 37 present. and final meeting for and Coral Leatham The main activities were on Saturday the year at Stratford passed away. night. on 24th November. We have been busy most of the year About 40 members At 4.00pm we had our bi-monthly including having displays and panning attended a local restaurant for dinner. general meeting followed by at the Yarragon Gem Show and the Happy Hour at 5.00pm. The games The branch was very active during the Neerim Show. commenced at 6.00pm which latter part of last year with various field We have had some success ourselves at consisted of horseshoe throwing and trips and a good turnout at the AGM. the Australian and Victorian Panning boche. A delicious dinner consisted Our final event for the year was the Championships. of cold boned and stuffed roast lamb, annual detector championships. at the A new Secretary, Treasurer and Vice page 24 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

25 President were appointed at our AGM late in As the gold price has risen so have the membership numbers. We have been working our way through the alphabet with our twenty or more trips this year - we ve reached W. We ve been to Wattle Gully, Wehla, Western Australia, Warratta, White Elephant, Warrenmang, Waanyarra and Whroo. Unfortunately we didn t find any gold in West Gippsland where our branch originates. However, gold was found on every trip. Our Christmas Party was once again held at Mick and Colleens home, a spit roast was had and everyone enjoyed themselves. The dingo pictured had to be killed during our trip to the West this year as it stalked and tried to attack one of our members. It was not a wild dog but it was certainly wild. Alan McFarlane -Vice President; Branch meets CWA Hall, 10 Sinclair St, Drouin - second Thursday of each month. Goldfields Central Branch members enjoying each other s company at the White Swan mine. The Goldfields Central branch is a brand new branch so we are in exciting times! It was set up to cater for the lack of current branches in the area. We held our first meeting in October and another in November with a break in December. There has been a great turnout to the two meetings we have held so far. Attendees have included members from Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, Maryborough, Dunolly, Ballarat and of course, Clunes and surrounding districts. Members range from newer prospectors just starting out to very experienced prospectors who have been prospecting since the 70s & 80s. We have had some interesting impromptu s from members so far including Tony Mills prospecting expeditions into Africa. In the future we plan to have keynote speakers come to several of our meetings to keep things interesting. We would love to hear feedback from other branches as to speakers that have educated, entertained and delighted them in the past. The first field trip was held in November at the White Swan, just north of Ballarat. Fifteen prospectors enthusiastically attended the trip and camaraderie was high. The weather was threatening but just held off beautifully for the day. A BBQ lunch was cooked for everyone and the camaraderie was great. Several old relics were found but it was just as well that spirits were high as only one nugget was found - a grand half grammer! Darren Kamp, Branch Coordinator Branch meets at the National Hotel, Clunes 3rd Wednesday of each month Melbourne Branch The branch has held its last three meetings at the new Miners Den. Ian and his team do a great job transforming the shop into a meeting room and then back to a shop at the end of the evening. The meeting in June was the first time I chaired the meeting as Geoff couldn t make it. Not a great number of members turned up as it was a very cold night, luckily I managed to get through the night okay With thanks to David Hasler, we watched a DVD from the ABC shop called How the Earth Began (the chapter on gold of course). It was well worth watching and I would recommend viewing for all those interested. It starts by telling where gold originated and then how to find gold from panning through to open cut mining. It runs for about 45 minutes and I am sure we will be watching it again. As the weather since February has been so wet with flooding etc, field trips have all but been forgotten. Our last trip was back in summer. This is something we must all work on for the future. If anyone wants to help with ideas or places they would like to go, please let me know. We are not asking for you to run a trip but have some input, as every little bit helps. We have had many members out and about with lot of stories to be told. Wallace Young had a nice find with two nuggets of around 8 grams and I picked up a nice 1.5 grammer and some smaller pieces around the Avoca area over the last long weekend. Mark Craig Branch meets 7.30 on the second Tuesday each month at Miners Den, 517 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham (Behind Subway). Grampians Branch is in recess. Anyone interested in taking a coordination role for this branch please contact any Committee member We are still seeking branch coordinators for the Central Victorian and Ballarat (South West) branches. The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012 page 25

26 What s On January st - 22nd Warragul & District Lapidary Club's Annual Gem Show. Yarragon Public Hall. March 10th-11th Wedderburn Detector Jambouree and Junior Gold Panning Championships. March 11th East Gippsland branch Gold Bullumwaal. Camping from 9th - 13th March 12th Victorian Gold Panning Championships March 30th-31st Annual Buckland River Branch Gathering Dec 3rd 158 th Anniversary of the Eureka uprising Dec 15th 161st Anniversary of the Monster Meeting Chewton Regular branch meeting dates are included with branch reports. Dates of branch field trips can be obtained by contacting branch executives. The PMAV Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month. For a free listing of your event in this column, call or pmav@pmav.org.au Editors Choice Photos They look real, shame they weren t! Hall of Fame Closes Sadly, the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame in Kalgoorlie has closed. We are not sure if it will be re-opening. The 2011 inductees to the Hall of Fame included Ron Manners, who members will recall was our keynote Don Brereton s coil tester received lots of interest at the AGM speaker at the 150th Anniversary AGM in Ballarat and who continues to support the work of the PMAV. Congratulations to Ron and all others who received welldeserved recognition. page 26 The Eureka ECHO Summer 2012

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