Eureka Echo. in conjunction with the PMAV and will occur within coming weeks. AGM

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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 2 - Autumn 2012 Prospecting in Parks Progress At Last! Members will be aware that, for many years, the PMAV has had its sights set on improved access to national and state parks for prospectors. We have been advised by both the Minister for Energy and Resources and the Minister for the Environment that they will soon commence the promised review of parks to ascertain under what circumstances greater access can be provided to prospectors. Arrangements for the Ministers to formally kick-off the review with a visit to the goldfields to see prospectors at work is being arranged in conjunction with the PMAV and will occur within coming weeks. AGM Your Committee is pleased to advise that this year s Annual General Meeting will be held in the goldfields town of Clunes on the weekend of 27th and 28th October. The Goldfields Central branch will be our hosts for the weekend. More details in future Echos. Print Post Approved PP334385/00074 Miners - Join Up and Win All corporate members of the PMAV as at 31st July 2012 will qualify for free entry into a draw for free 3 days geological consulting with Dr Allan Rossiter plus one free tenement processing by former Mining Warden Noel Laidlaw. That s right, another bonus of being a PMAV member for the mining sector. Work is limited to Victoria. Other minor conditions apply. There is no better time than now to join. You need us and we need you! Additionally, Noel Laidlaw offers all PMAV members a 20% discount on all consulting work. How to Find Nuggets Like This - read a members story inside photo courtesy of the Mining Exchange Gold Shop The Diggers Oath We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties. The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 1

2 ADVANTAGE SERIES Specifically developed to suit the Minelab GPX Range No other coil offers all the following features: ASA Plastic High Performance Litz Wire Polycarbonate Shaft Mount O-Ring Sealed Cable entry Sealed Windings Unique Fully Bonded Component Construction Gold Plated Plugs 2-Year Warranty COMPLete ANd RetURN YOUR WARRANtY CARd ANd extend YOUR WARRANtY to 3 YeARS ON ALL AdvANtAGe COiLS. Elliptical Mono sizes available 8 x 6 (Sadie) - 12 x 7 14 x 7 14 x 9 17 x x x 7 (Patch Pro) Round Mono sizes available Prefer Solid coils? Solid versions of all sizes are now available at No extra Charge For More detailed information please send your details to the following address or Nuggetfinder goldtec@activ8.net.au Nuggetfinder P.O. Box 1123 Strathfieldsaye Vic 3551 NuggetFinder coils are available from most leading outlets For all U.S enquiries contact Arizona Outback 18 Mono Coil Unbreakable Polycarbonate Shaft Mount Patch Pro 30 x 7 Lightweight (920 grams) and Super Sensitivity combined with massive ground coverage page 2 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

3 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) Interim contact Max Muir (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 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 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 3

4 President s Report What a great organisation the PMAV is. Over recent months we have seen the re-establishment of the Ballarat branch, a successful Expo in Bullumwaal, our sponsorship and support of the Australian Gold Panning Championships and the Wedderburn Gold Jamboree, our participation in the Australia Day March and RACV Family Day and much more. This is all done by a network of fantastic volunteers, all willing to support their Association and promote the activities of prospecting and mining to the broader community. I managed to participate in some of these events namely the Ballarat branch revival and the Australia Day parade and family day. Geoff Strang and I travelled to Ballarat after work (our paid work that is) and were warmly welcomed by Ballarat prospectors at the Old Colonists Club who had donated the venue for the evening. It was great to see so many new faces and even better to see the continuing support from some well-established members. The upshot was a steering committee was formed and the branch will meet again to hear this committee s recommendations on branch structure etc. Well done particularly to Neville Callaby and Cordell Kent for their work. Participation in the Australia Day event was thrust upon us through a phone call in very late December inviting us to take part. Of course almost everyone was away but a small but dedicated team led by Andrew Bales and Wallace Young organised a great day. Personally, I got a real buzz from being part of the parade along with such varied participants. We walked between Friends of Sovereign Hill in their glorious period costumes and the Chinese community with their very active dragon and very loud drums. As we passed the dignitaries at the Melbourne Town Hall, our Bruce Brown discovered a Hand of Faith nugget in Swanston Street, much to the Thousands turned out to see the PMAV march down Swanston Street pleasure of the crowd. Bruce continued to hold the replica high in the air until we arrived at our destination - our display in the King s Domain gardens. We spent the rest of the day answering various questions including the is it real in respect to the Hand of Faith replica about 1000 times! PMAV members, Francine and Francois Gilbert, Dan Cupid, Andrew Bales, Lindsay Tricker, John Munn, Tony Mills, Peter Maffey, Wallace Young, Darren Kamp, Ronda and Mark Hyde, David Bentley, Ian Hayward, Gerry Tobin, Lester Fisher, Ron Hand, Don and Darren Brereton (and family) Robyn and Murray Hall spent time with children showing them the art of panning for gemstones and detecting for pennies. Everyone had a ball! We will be doing the same next year - if you are interested in assisting, please let us know. The Bullumwaal Expo was bigger and better this year - despite the heavy rain in the preceding days. I would like to congratulate the East Gippsland branch and their supporters for their amazing work once again. Branch president (also PMAV vice-president) Brian Bateson did a great job encouraging ABC radio to give the event excellent coverage. See full article for more details. All other recent events have been successful. At the time of writing I haven t yet heard about the Buckland weekend. Talking of heavy rain, I know you will join me in sending our best wishes to North East branch President and Secretary, Bill and Anne Gleeson who were flooded out in Yarrawonga. They just had time to grab the photographs and a few other personal items before being forced to evacuate. Our thoughts are with them as they recover their home. I must acknowledge the fantastic photo contributions for this issue. I had difficulty choosing which to include. Particular thanks to Ray Swinnerton, Andrew Bales, Eric Grummet and Errol McDonald. Have no fear, it hasn t all been fun and festivals over recent months. While the bureaucracy went into recess over the Christmas period we have had plenty to do with Native Title, MRSDA regulation review, OH&S and we finally had a meeting with DSE regarding improved access to parks. This meeting came about as a response to our request for a meeting with the Environment Minister. We met with Gary Howell, DSE Executive Director of Strategy on his behalf. This meeting was very disappointing and fruitless, luckily thanks to our persistence we have received better news since from other sources. The news regarding progress in the parks issue came in just before I signed off on the Echo and is a late addition. I am ecstatic that we have finally got movement on this issue and hope that the past 20 + years of perseverance will finally pay off! Unil next time, Rita Bentley, PMAV President page 4 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

5 From the Opposition Benches As the Labor Party Spokesman on Resources I was delighted to receive the invitation to write a small piece for the Eureka Echo. Whilst Victoria s history is intertwined with prospecting and mining, and indeed the roots of progressive politics in Victoria are in your sector, most of the contemporary media focus was on the large commercial development of brown coal, gold and mineral sands, rather than on smaller prospectors and miners. That was, of course, until the debate moved to coal-seam gas exploration and the enormous community debate that that has generated both here and north or our border! This debate shows that the historical strains between agricultural and mining claims on the land remain well and truly with us and are ones that we need to address in any future policy offering. I have been particularly focused to getting to see and understand mining better. I have visited all of the brown coal mines in the LaTrobe Valley as well as mineral sands mines in the Wimmera, gold mines in a number of locations in central Victoria and stone quarries on the Melbourne fringe. In addition I have made it my business to speak to my Labor colleagues, both State and Federal, who have served as Resources Ministers to get their perspective of our party s interaction with prospectors and miners. I have also met on a number of occasions with individual companies and a number of peak bodies. The Labor Party under Ministers Candy Broad, Theo Theophanous and Peter Batchelor had productive and ongoing discussions with the Prospectors and Miners Association during the Bracks and Brumby Governments, and I am optimistic to those continuing under a future Labor Government led by Daniel Andrews. Our policies for the 2014 State Election will be developed with a dialogue with industry. The first steps will be reviewing what we went to the 2010 election with in conjunction with any decisions made by the Baillieu Government to date. After that we will look to changes in the State and Global spheres that are relevant and settle on policies that whilst cognisant of what has happened, will look forward to growing the industry and the jobs that go with it. I look forward to an ongoing dialogue with your association as we embark on that journey and opportunities to discuss specific issues. John Lenders MP Shadow Minister for Resources 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 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 5

6 Bullumwaal Goldfields Exhibition Day turn of the century the area started to decline but gold mining continued until around At its peak the population of the Bullumwaal area exceeded 3000 and the town had hotels, shops, a post office and a brass band. Much of the town has now gone but the Mechanics Hall remains and was the site for the exhibition. Between 850 and 900 people visited on the day and had the chance to learn about gold prospecting and gold panning from experts. The exhibition featured working displays of gold mining equipment and machinery, displays of local gold and gemstones and a chance for users of Minelab metal detectors to have their coils electronically tested. Doug Stone, well known author of several gold prospecting books was onsite with his books and maps for sale. Other equipment such as gold pans and sample bottles were also available. The event has attracted extensive media coverage with photo features in three editions of the local paper and an extended interview on ABC radio. A visiting family see just how big Victoria s nuggets can be On Sunday 11th of March the picturesque little goldmining town at Bullumwaal came to life with the sound of a gold stamper and other mining as prospectors from around Gippsland gathered for the third Bullumwaal Goldfields Exhibition Day. This Exhibition was hosted by the East Gippsland Branch of the PMAV with assistance from the West Gippsland Branch. Gold was first discovered at Boggy Creek in 1857 sparking a rush of prospectors and miners to the area which reached its peak in the 1880s and 1890s. After the Graham Watt shares his skills. Photos courtesy of the Bairnsdale Advertiser. page 6 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

7 Mining Warden. We have received notification from the Minister for Resources, Michael O Brien that John Butler has been reappointed to the position of State Mining Warden for a further 12 months. Unfortunately, and perhaps understandably, the Warden s office in Bendigo will close. John Butler pictured with his personal assistant, Bronwen Herbert Heading West? If you have always wanted to head to Western Australia but not sure where to go and how to plan,you could consider an escorted trip. There are two different companies who are members of the PMAV offering escorted detecting trips. Mark and Ronda Hyde run Gold Prospecting Australia and have been taking prospectors to WA for many years. They can be contacted on 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 Darren Kamp from Gold and Relics Australia has recently decided to include WA in his tour list. Darren s inaugural tour to WA is due to take place 23rd May-4th June 2012, with more trips planned. Further details can be obtained by contacting Darren on Support from Loddon Shire The PMAV would like to acknowledge the support of the Loddon Shire, in particular their tourism officer Robyn Vella. Loddon Shire obviously recognises and appreciates the social and economic contribution of prospectors and have even placed a Welcome ad in this Echo. As always, the PMAV urges members to support those who support us. Let s face it, the Loddon Shire has produced some of the best nugget finds in history so why would you need to go elsewhere? Maryborough Caravan Park 7-9 Holyrood Street, Maryborough Vic 3465 Phone Fax 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 Autumn 2012 page 7

8 Australia Day March The PMAV was invited to participate in the Australia Day March, Thursday 26 January The Australia Day Committee has run the March for the past 10 years and this year was aiming to promote Our Rich Culture and Our Diverse Community. In addition to the March itself, we were also invited to set up an interactive display located in the Kings Domain Gardens for the RACV Family Picnic day which provides further entertainment following the March. Due to the late notice, we only had a matter of weeks to make arrangements. The committee, PMAV members, gold related businesses and clubs enthusiastically banded together to make it happen. The support provided, given such short notice was fantastic. The March and Gardens display was a great opportunity to increase the public profile of the PMAV to Melbourne s wider community. The dress code for the March was Dress to Express, so it was decided to proceed with a variety of PMAV uniforms and general prospecting attire. Some were more expressive than others (see picture of Rita below). There were a total of 77 groups marching including Sovereign Hill, The Korean Society of Victoria, Vintage Car Club Victoria, Australian Flag Association, Girl Guides Victoria and the Chinese Masonic Society Lion Dance Team who marched behind us and completely drowned us out with beating drums and associated vocals. Rita promoting the PMAV in fine eye catching attire. In the Kings Domain Gardens, our marquee was set up as a general information booth promoting the PMAV, relic hunting and gold prospecting. We had two interactive displays, gold and gem panning and metal detecting for coins. We were inundated by hundreds of people of all ages. The gold panning was extremely popular with the kids and families and several times during the day a queue formed with dozens of people waiting to try their luck. We had an area flagged off for metal detecting coins and this was equally as popular. We weren t able to bury anything or dig anything up in the Gardens, so we managed to hide pennies under the grass for detector operators to find. The excitement of finding pre-decimal coins got the better of many participants and some just Part of the PMAV team in the March The March proceeded along Swanston Street, passing the Melbourne Town Hall where a short brief was read out about each group. Most of us carried some type of prospecting equipment, whether gold pan, pick or metal detector, Bruce Brown carried a replica of The Hand of Faith and when passing the Town Hall held the nugget up high and we all cheered to create a jubilant scene in front of the seated dignitaries... I think we got their attention! We passed thousands of spectators lining the foot paths and roadside and were given a great deal of cheer and encouragement from the public. We were very well received. Dan Cupid showing the next generation the finer techniques in panning for gold page 8 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

9 didn t want to stop, so we had to limit finds to one or two coins per person. Our marquee was a huge hit as well, providing hundreds of people with details about how and where to start prospecting. Display stands covered in prospecting and relic hunting photos surrounded the marquee, as well as some real relics on display. The attention given by the general public was quite overwhelming and at times we just didn t have enough of us to go around to cope with the volume of interest. It certainly gave the PMAV a wonderful opportunity to educate and lift our public profile. I would like to thank all the PMAV members, prospecting club members and business owners who assisted with organising the event and participated on the day. Your enthusiastic support and help was greatly appreciated. It was a colossal effort and a great success. Thank you Article and photos by Andrew Bales. Detecting for coins doesn t get any better than this, expert advice and a bounty of treasure! Peter Maffey and Francois Gilbert showing a couple of young starters how to pinpoint the target. Kids and families just couldn t get enough. Coiltek Announces Discovery Comp. Have you had an interesting experience or successful find using a Coiltek Manufacturing Product? Then why not enter Coiltek Manufacturing s Latest Discoveries competition which is open to all prospectors who have an interesting find and success story. The winner is drawn monthly and the successful person receives a $150 Coiltek voucher. The discovery must have been made when using a Coiltek product and must also come with a great story and some good jpeg pictures. The winner s story will be displayed on the Coiltek Manufacturing website au which is viewed worldwide. So what are you waiting for, send in your entry today!!!! Terms and conditions apply visit coiltekmanufacturing.com.au/competition-terms.html The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 9

10 PROSPECTORS & MINERS Membership Time is Coming! Why not get in early with your membership fee payment? For that matter why not pay a couple of years in advance? The PMAV accepts payments of memberships for up to 5 years in advance at today s rates. One thing most prospectors have in common is not being terribly efficient with paperwork... Why not pay now and then you won t need to think about it again for at least a year! Legislative Amendments We have received the following: the Resources Legislation Amendment Act 2011, except Parts 3 and 6, commenced on 20 March This Act contains amendments to a number of Acts, including the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 (MRSDA). The amendments to the MRSDA include - provision that an applicant for a prospecting licence must, within 14 days after being notified by the Minister of the acceptance of the application, provide notice to the landowner or occupier of the land affected by the application (section 15(5)); provision that the holder of a prospecting licence or retention licence must survey and mark out the boundaries of the land covered by the licence in the manner, and within the time, required by the regulations (section 38AA(1)); ensuring that consent for extractive industry is sought from all licensees, including retention and prospecting licensees, as well as exploration or mining licensees (section 77S); and making minor typographic corrections. A consolidated version of this Act is available at: PMAV Comment - Why is it that despite record gold prices and record demand for gold, Victoria has the lowest number of operating gold mines in decades? Much more must be done to encourage mining in this resource-rich state! PMAV Video Are you sitting down? At the time of writing our video on YouTube was nearing 150,000 views. When it was first uploaded we thought we might get a couple of thousand hits. 150,000 is remarkable and goes to show just how much interest there is in prospecting - politicians please note! If you haven t seen it yet, search for 21st Century Prospecting on YouTube.com 21st Century ProsPeCting in ViCtoria Presented by the PMAV ~ N 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 page 10 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 PWB0033

11 Golden National Parks Steve Dingwall from East Gippsland has compiled a list of parks where there are goldfields and where prospecting is prohibited. These are the parks that we are asking for the prohibition to be lifted and prospecting access be subject to management planning. We are hoping for improved access to other parks too. Lerderderg State Park which contains various known gold deposits. The Alpine National Park which contains the following goldfields: Upper Dargo Goldfield, Cobungra River and tributaries, Harrietville goldfield, Limestone Creek, Wombat Creek, Dart River goldfield, Crooked River & Grant Goldfield (west of the Wonnangatta River), Mitta Mitta River & Big River, Gibbo River, Bonang goldfield, Buckwong Creek, Bunroy Creek, Red Robin and associated mines near Mount Hotham Lind National Park contains the Club Terrace Goldfield Errinundra National Park contains the Clarkville Goldfield and goldfields associated with Black Watch Creek Yarra Ranges National Park contains goldfields associated with the Yarra River and tributaries Lake Eildon National Park contains goldfields associated with various tributaries of Lake Eildon Mitchell River National Park contains goldfields associated with the Mitchell River and its tributaries. This park also contains Thunder Eggs which are of interest to gem collectors. Baw Baw National Park contains the goldfields associated with the Aberfeldy and Thompson Rivers. Croajingolong National Park contains the Mallacoota goldfield. The PMAV believes it is absurd that 21st century, environmentally aware and responsible prospectors are not permitted to access any of them! We are working on it. Echo readers may also like to note the following - Wilsons Promontory National Park contains the Mount Hunter Tinfield (the PMAV is not seeking access to this park), the Grampians National Park contains the Mafeking Goldfield and the Snowy River National Park contains deposits of lead zinc & copper. The PMAV is not seeking access to these particular parks. Vale - Herb Cann Sadly we advise members of the passing of another foundation member. Herb Cann was almost 99 years old when he passed away in February. All those who spoke at his funeral reflected on Herb s passion for gold mining, right up to the end Herb in his element - mucking around with machinery. of his life. There was some mention of Red-Tape constricting this passion. Herb was truly bitten by the gold bug and as we all know - there is no cure. Our sincere sympathies to his wife Betty and family. The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 11

12 Genuine Minelab - Genuine Performance Stop Counterfeits! Driven by high demand for Minelab s genuine products, there is currently a strong global black market in unauthorised or counterfeit copies of Minelab products. Buyer Beware!! Minelab cannot be held responsible for counterfeit Minelab products! Thereʼs no better way to keep your best mate dry and warm when prospecting in the bush. Hand made in Central Victoria, these coats feature water-proof and durable oilskin with the option of cotton or fleecy lining. Available in a range of sizes and styles to suit every breed of dog including greyhounds and whippets. Custom orders welcome. Tel: However, Minelab are implementing a Stop Counterfeiting campaign which aims to protect the interests of our authorised dealers and our customers by safeguarding the authenticity and quality of Minelab s products and brand. What is wrong with counterfeit products? People waste precious time and money buying an inferior product that does not deliver on performance; They will not provide the durability and reliability of genuine Minelab products. People realise they are victims when they experience the failures of the counterfeit product and have no redress from the seller; They do not contain approved and tested high performance Minelab precision components and software; They do not have any level of warranty or service repair support. How can I tell if it is Counterfeit? Cosmetically, the counterfeit manufacturers have done a very good job making the fake detectors look and feel like authentic machines. They have copied the look of all components of the detectors. Even serial numbers and Minelab s security labels have been duplicated. The only way to guarantee you are buying a genuine high quality Minelab product is to buy from an Authorised Minelab dealer. To find an Authorised dealer in your area visit the Where to buy page on web site. New Security Labels In an effort to help protect our customers from buying counterfeit detectors, a new Security label has been introduced. These labels are the very latest and most sophisticated authentication labels, available in the world today and are being applied (in the first instance) on the GPX 5000; GPX 4800; Eureka Gold and X-Terra 705 Gold Pack. For your security and peace of mind, your Minelab Authorised dealer can now easily confirm authenticity by inspecting the security label through the specially issued polarized viewer. Large security labels placed on the product cartons feature an image that aligns with the serial number. Authorised Dealers will be able to log into the Minelab website, type in the product serial number to confirm that the product is a Genuine Minelab detector. By combining sophisticated authentication technologies along with assistance for customers seeking safe Authorised Dealers, there is no reason to be caught buying a counterfeit machine. page 12 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

13 EDIC s Findings Due Soon The State Government s Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee s Inquiry into Greenfields Mineral Exploration and Project Development in Victoria is due to report at the end of April. The PMAV made a written submission to this Inquiry and Rita Bentley and Noel Laidlaw appeared before the Committee to give evidence on behalf of Victoria s prospectors and smaller-scale miners. Time will tell what impact we had. Full report of their findings in the next Echo. Did you know Rio Tinto paid $10.2US Billion in tax in 2011? Next Issue Dean Smith from Melbourne Museum will write an article outlining how to make your own nugget replicas. Just need to find one first I guess! Alexandra Mural A mural recognising Alexandra s gold mining heritage has recently been unveiled. The mural is 9 metres wide x 3 metres high and is fixed above a shop opposite the Shire Hall. It would be worth a look if you are in the area. Please note - the Echo would appreciate a photo of the Mural for inclusion in a future issue. Out n About in Tarnagulla A new event has been added to the calendar of metal detecting events in Victoria. While details are yet to be confirmed, Wedderburn Tourism has given us advance notice and we ask that you write it in your diary for Sunday 30th September. Detector treasure hunt, historic walks, goldfields bike ride, photographers, wildflower walk and Scavenger Hunt. 10:00am to 3.00pm. Tarnagulla Community Centre, 8 Sandy Creek Lane, Tarnagulla. Phone the Loddon Visitor Information Centre (03) for further details which will also be in the next Echo. The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 13

14 Panhandlers Corner 11 to 13 Years 1st Karly Smith. 2nd Abigail Apro. 3rd Jake Tabone. 14 to 16 years 1st Sherie Young. 2nd Lara Smith. 3rd Stuart Wood. The Neil Saville Trophy was awarded to Trent Jackson. Dylan Calvert with this year s winner Trent Jackson Congratulations to all winners and a big thank you to all the parents who brought along their young panners. Without your efforts we would not have been able to hold the event. The Panning Championships were held in conjunction with the annual Wedderburn Detector Jamboree with Minelab and various other sponsors donating prizes and support. Special acknowledgement to Coiltek Gold Centre, the Inglewood and Districts Community Bendigo Bank and the PMAV. Meanwhile, keep on panning. Regards to all, Tom & Dylan Calvert. Tom Calvert and son Dylan pass on their experience to another generation The Inglewood & Districts Community Bendigo Bank Junior Gold Panning Competition held at Wedderburn on the Labour Day weekend each year just keeps on getting better. It was full on this year with a lot of new young panners showing up. Some that were as young as five years old -we had to use pallets to lift them to the right height so they could pan. It was non-stop action with the best rollup ever, even though some of our regular young panners couldn t attend. My son Dylan and I had a great team to work with in regard to the judging and paper work. It made everything run that much more smoothly. Loddon Shire s Robyn Vella and her team were as usual tireless workers, Dylan helped with the presentations and awarded the much coveted Neil Saville trophy, to a worthy winner. This trophy is close to Dylan s heart, as Neil was a good mate to him and a great role model. And the winners were: 3-7 Year Category 1st - Zara Geddis. 2nd Lahni Jackson. 3rd - Emma Hooley, 8-10 Year Category 1st - Trent Jackson. 2nd - Brad Barden. 3rd Karmen Comale Australian Gold Panning Championships - Ballarat Panning Winners Monday morning Labour Day in Ballarat was, for early March, freezing!! As we set up for the day s competition we seriously wondered if anybody would get out of bed - it was that cold - but they did. page 14 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

15 As the day rolled on it did warm up and the competitors rolled up as well. Quite a few had been at Wedderburn the previous two days and had their eye in from the panning champs there. Dylan Calvert who had helped run that event, went on to win the Open Skilled over some very highly fancied competition including Matt Kelava (Matt the Tailor) and some hot to trot panners from across the Ditch as the schedule of results shows. Matt did go on to take out overall champion because his combined times in both the skilled and the Eureka Challenge got him up first overall without actually winning either event. Later this year on the 21st October the NZ Goldpanning Association will be holding their championships in Arrowtown as part of the 150th anniversary of the discovery of gold in Otago. We will be there to try and win a few medals and cups off them - in retaliation for all the gold, silver and bronze that went their way this time. Anybody who would like to join us please contact me. I won`t arrange travel for you but we can make up some teams to take on the Kiwis. Arrowtown is a great place to absorb the local gold-mining history and to pan some Kiwi Gold. It s only twenty minutes from Queenstown where you can fulfill your lifelong fantasy and watch your partner go bungee jumping! Australian Gold Panning Championships Winners st place Winners Time 2nd place 3rd place Under 12 Sam Cox Patrick Binks Eloise Hennig Junior - U16 Caleb Cropley Hamish Cox Ben Schulze Novice Ebony Dempster Don Astbury Annie Fitzgerald NZ Batea Bill Lind NZ Dylan Calvert Caleb Cropley Skilled Dylan Calvert Lester Fisher Matt The Tailor Eureka Challenge David Marsh NZ Matt The Tailor James Keays Teams The Cherry Pickers The Golden Kiwis NZ The Calvert Crusaders TransTasman Trophy Women s Champion Aust Champion The Golden Kiwis NZ Pauline Graham Matt The Tailor Geoff Strang, Secretary/Treasurer Victorian Goldpanning Association The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 15

16 Wedderburn Detector Wedderburn weekend draws a big crowd of campers. The Minelab Wedderburn Detector Jamboree was also held over the Labour Day long weekend attracting participants from across Australia. Gold Prospecting Australia s Mark Hyde gives a few helpful tips to participants. Enthusiastic gold detector operators converged on Hard Hill Tourist Reserve for two consecutive days in the hope of finding a token to enter the major draw for a Minelab GPX 5000 detector (valued at $6,700). There were 154 registered participants. All lined up and ready to go. page 16 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

17 Jamboree GOLD BUYING & REFINING! Russell Fazzani receives his first prize from Minelab Dealer, John Gladdis. 1st prize of a Minelab GPX5000 valued at $6700 was won by Wedderburn local Russell Fazzani. 2nd prize of a Coiltek Coil went to Charlie Powell with the PMAV s Dean Smith enjoying 3rd prize of another Coiltek Coil. The 4th prize of a Loddon Shire Gold Nugget went to Peter Clarke. Overall prizes total around $15,000 were awarded over the weekend. Wedderburn Tourism Inc would sincerely like to thank Minelab and Coiltek for their endless support with sponsoring this event with such magnificent prizes and detector participants and families for attending. La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria 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. 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: The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 17

18 Watch out for the PMAV in Australian Gold Gem and Treasure The PMAV has been invited to contribute copy towards the AGGT Year Book. Thank you to the editor Mark Thomas for the opportunity. Minelab Supports USA Metal Detecting Organisation Minelab is a proud supporter of the Task Force for Metal Detecting Rights Foundation. The Task Force is a not-forprofit organization with the singular mission to promote and defend the lawful hobby of recreational metal detecting on public lands and waterways across America. Formed in 1996, efforts of the Task Force have benefited all who enjoy the recreational hobby of metal detecting. Minelab has recently executed a fund-raising promotion with our Minelab Americas Partners to raise funds for the Task Force to help them continue the great work they are doing. Together we have successfully raised over $41,000 in funds and distributed the cheque to The Task Force for Metal Detecting Rights Foundation on the 8th February, 2012 in New York City. Editor s Choice Photo s Some old equipment on display at Bullumwaal 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 18 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

19 Letter to the Editor Dear Rita, re Australia Day, congratulations on the organization of the day and the overall contribution of the PMAV. Unfortunately, I didn t know what to expect, and I wasn t much use to you. Next time we ll be bigger and better. Once more thanks. cheers, Gerard. Editor s note, we beg to differ - no event is complete without Gerry, his red coat, beard and banjo. PMAV Membership Application 2013 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 2013 are: Individual inclduing Immediate Family $50.00 or Individual Pensioner and/or Immediate Family (Pensioner Concession Card Holders Only) $30.00 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 Autumn 2012 page 19

20 Interstate Updates As many of you start planning trips to interstate goldfields over winter, please keep the following in mind. NSW - Tibooburra Changes We have been advised that the gates of Mount Brown Station near Milparinka (Tibooburra) are now closed to prospectors. This is not due to action by any prospectors but a change of heart by the relevant pastoral licensee. This is a shame, there was still gold to be found at Mount Brown. NSW- Hill End We have been contacted by people concerned with the push to lock prospectors out of the Hill End region by declaring national parks and/or reserves in the area. We have all seen the incredible photo of the Holterman nugget, prospectors are to be denied the opportunity to find another amazing specimen. What s On May 5th PMAV Executives State Conference September 30th Out n About at Tarnagulla October 13th & 14th Ararat Gold Dig October 27th & 28th PMAV s 32nd Annual General Meeting Weekend - Clunes Dec 3rd 158th Anniversary of the Eureka uprising Dec 15th 161st Anniversary of the Monster Meeting Chewton As usual with no grounds other than an unsubstantiated bias against the activity. A NSW based member of the PMAV contacted us for help, we have supplied him with copies of our DVD, Eureka Echos and various other information to assist. Tasmania There are also moves to further restrict prospecting in Tasmania. We have written to the Tasmanian Minister responsible for mining/prospecting expressing our concerns. We will continue to monitor interstate activities and keep members informed. Note, there is no representative body like the PMAV in NSW or Tasmania but we would be happy to assist anyone wishing to establish one. 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 but please note, we have a considerable lead time with the Echo so early notification is necessary. 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 page 20 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

21 Member s Story Like most goldfields towns, Ballarat and its surrounds are still giving up their treasures to the prospector with a modern day Minelab Super Detector. It has become a bit harder to find big gold Photo Courtesy Mining Exchange nuggets as they just Gold Shop don t grow back. I have had to think differently about where and how I search for the big nuggets. This required a fair bit of thought, and a lot of historical studies in the field and in the old documents. One thing I got thinking about was all those deep hydraulically sluiced out gullies around Ballarat, and when I went back in my research I found that the majority of those recorded, started off as a lead where the original miners sank relatively shallow shafts, to get the good gold at a depth of 3 to 5 metres. Once the leads were worked, the gutters and gullies were hit with high pressure water, and the rich seams of gold left by previous miners were washed away. All the rich auriferous gravels were processed in bulk, by workers working for companies. They targeted the pillars that were left between the old miners workings and everything went through the sluice boxes. When you look at some of these sluiced out gullies, you get the feeling that they took everything. But, some of these gullies have secrets to reveal, if only you understand what you are seeing. I looked at some of these gullies over a period of many years and got to thinking about what it must have been like when the hydraulic sluicing was going on. The noise, the water, the mud, the clay, the cold and began to wonder just how effectively the paid workers did their jobs. Given the huge amount of water hitting the face and the bottom, it would have been hard for the workers to see all of the larger gold and specimens and as they worked forward (uphill) the ground behind them must have been pretty soggy. Over a few years of visiting these gullies I began to notice things I hadn t recognised as important before. More than 100 years after the sluicing work was done, it became evident to me that I could just see depressions where old miners holes were before the sluicing. This was an interesting observation. What if the paid workers from the sluicing days couldn t actually follow the bottom? What if some of the ground they missed had collected gold, or there were yabby holes where the big gold found its way before the miners bottomed out. I started putting the theory to the test. With my trusty Minelab Super Detector I started working some of these gullies, paying great attention to the depressions and the areas between them where I could just make out old miners shafts. Talk about junk!!! I dug truck loads of it, but was encouraged by some nice pieces down a bit deeper than I normally worked. Some of the nuggets were found after I had a decent hole that had been dug and junk found. I always wave the detector around any hole I have dug. Nuggets under the junk! Nuggets left behind in small, and large crevices that the sluicers missed, or ran over. (Continued on page 22) 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 Autumn 2012 page 21

22 (Continued from page 21) I realised that this was a way more profitable way of working than swinging the paddocks and hill sides. Most prospectors think of a crevice as a narrow gap downwards that has trapped heavies. Not all crevices are small, and not all of them go straight down. I have found good gold nuggets in crevices as wide as my shoulders and they go down on an angle. These are the best as they then tend to cut back beneath apparently barren ground. The first time I got onto this was when I got a clear but faint signal, I dug down and hit what I thought was a hard bottom. But the signal was clearer, and was definitely metal. I had feared that this was going to be like so many times before when I had dug down deep through unworked ground, through the clays and wash, following the signal down, with it getting louder and more broad. On many of these occasions as the crow bar came out and it seemed like I was digging my own shaft, I was really excited, right up until the bar cut through to an old time miners drive (horizontal shaft), where a previous miner had left a broken axe blade, a pick head or other ephemera. Not long back I had a target that sounded like metal, and it was deep. It was a really hot day and the prospect of digging a deep hole, in hard ground, just to find rubbish was not appealing. It was almost like I was trying to talk myself out of digging the target. I realised that I was out there to swing a coil, and to dig holes. If I didn t dig holes for deep targets, then I was not working. I dug. The sound on my external hip mounted speaker got noticeably better. LODDON IS THE PROSPECTORS DREAM IN THE HEART OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE This region has an abundance of options providing the visitor with an experience gold fossicking locations gold panning locations visit farm base cottage industries, sample award winning wines, explore the natural environment attend a Loddon event Wedderburn is an RV Friendly Town PROMOTING BRIDGEWATER, BOORT, DINGEE, EDDINGTON, INGLEWOOD, KORONG VALE, LAANECOORIE, MITIAMO, NEWBRIDGE, PYRAMID HILL, SERPENTINE, TARNAGULLA & WEDDERBURN Present this advert at the Loddon Visitor Centre and receive a souvenir For further information contact: The Loddon Visitor Information Centre on (03) , walk in at 24 Wilson Street Wedderburn or visit I widened the hole and took more off the bottom so I could swing the coil to get a good idea where the target rested. Good looking material.. Hard work digging. The sound just kept on getting better. At about 45 cm depth (I have marked my pick handle with depth marks so I do know how deep I have been), the ground was still looking great and the target was still in the bottom. I half heartedly hoped it might be gold, and if it was I didn t want to bruise it by hitting it with the pick or crow bar head. I had to widen the hole. This wasn t too bad as it was just working the edges around to give me room to go deeper. I began to notice something I hadn t expected. The high side of my hole had pipe clay that was dipping very quickly downwards and in a bow towards me, over a short area. This looked good! The signal appeared to be down deeper and located where I estimated the dip in the hard pipe clay was. At about 90cm the target was roaring through the speaker. The ground was tight and on one side was the edge of the pipe clay, still dipping towards me. The gravel/clay mix of the good wash dirt was on my side. I then noticed the pipe clay coming in from behind me. This seemed like a decent crevice over a short area. Carefully I dug wider than I expected the target to be, so I didn t thump a rock that would in turn thump into my nugget - as I was now certain it was. With a big area open that I could stand and dig in I got stressed about getting a small dinner plate quartz rock out of the way so I could get to the easy digging behind it. The rock loosened in the clay. I lent over to pick it up and throw it out. As soon as my finger tips wrapped around the rock and I started to lift I knew it was way heavier than just stone. Clay was stuck all over it but when I rubbed some of it away, I got my first glimpse of gold. It was all over the quartz specimen. Whoo Hoo!!! It was also really evident that most of the gold was inside and to one side. Without complaint I lugged it out of the hole and to some nearby water where I carefully set about working the clay off. I set this clay aside carefully because I wanted to pan it off later to see if any fine gold was with it. The quartz was beautiful and white, the type of white that has never been exposed to daylight, and the gold was poking out along and through it. Trying not to be too excited I did the double hand juggle with the specimen and went Yep it s heavy, maybe 20 to 50 ounces of gold. After fully checking out the hole it came from and only finding one 3 grammer, I tidied up and headed home. The only way to clean the clay right off this specimen, and not hurt it was with a high pressure jet hose from about a metre away. No chance it was going to be blown away as the weight had it solidly anchored to the ground! When cleaned and dried it weighed in at 156 ounces total, and on a proven specific gravity test it showed that the gold content was about 76 ounces!!! That s worth more than $120,000!! Double Whoo Hoo!!! Caz page 22 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

23 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) FREE $100 GOLD TOUR VOUCHER WITH EVERY GPX5000 DETECTOR SOLD! The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 23

24 Around the Branches Ballarat Branch Twenty-eight people attended the first meeting of the reconstituted Ballarat Branch and enough interest was shown that the branch has been reformed. Office Bearers were elected. The new branch steering committee The Mining Exchange Gold Shop has continued to promote awareness and interest in the Ballarat Branch. Apart from the 3 State Executive Members of the PMAV, some members from other branches of the PMAV also attended, and offered help and support. The Ballarat Branch of the PMAV would like to extend thanks to the Old Colonists Association, and Old Colonist Club for providing Club rooms at no charge. There was something extremely special about meeting in Club Rooms that were originally formed by people who had to be miners on the Ballarat Goldfields from ie the first 10 years. The Old Colonists Association/Club asks nothing, but that attendees buy even a soft drink (or two or more) to continue to host the Ballarat branch of the PMAV. This is a most unique venue, and its voluntary enthusiasm and support for the Ballarat Branch of the PMAV can not be overstated. The Ballarat Branch of the PMAV meets regularly on the first Wednesday of the Month, at 6.45 and is finished by 8.20pm (all out by 8.30pm by arrangement). of Ballarat. All PMAV members are welcome to attend. Contact the branch for further details. We will be meeting at 6.45pm (to about 8.20pm) at the Old Colonists Association/Club above R.F. Scott & Co Gunsmiths (and a few doors up from The Mining Exchange Gold Shop) in Lydiard St Nth, Ballarat. All existing and non members are welcome, no matter what gender, age or experience please come along All the best, Cordell Kent Long Term PMAV member and supporter. North East (Yackandandah) G day, Just a short note this time, as we have been flooded out of our house. Two feet of water contaminated with septic ruined absolutely everything. Our house had to be gutted, but we are well and things could be worse. Thanks to the many members who offered to help one way or another. January started our 2012 year with the usual meal before the meeting at the pub. Then we had the meeting and supper afterwards. Good roll up of 25 people. February 10,11 and 12 saw us go to Lightning Creek. That s 6 kms past The Walnuts on the way to Omeo. We had 6 vans and 22 members including day trippers over the weekend. Some members stayed the week. Thanks to Ronda & Russell French for bringing the marquee tent as we had a couple of cloud bursts and it was great to get in out of the wet. The river there like most rivers has been turned inside out and we could not find anything worth reporting until the day before we were to go home. Then we found a spot and put in the sluices and got stuck into some shovelling. We got a nice surprise when we cleaned up. Great company, great campfires, the best bush in the best country in the world. See you there. Regards, Bill Gleeson Branch President Branch meets Yackandandah Senior Citizens, Wellsford St, Yackandandah - bi-monthly third Wednesday. East Gippsland (Stratford) The major event for the East Gippsland Branch was the Bullumwaal Goldfield Exhibition day. After months of planning the weather looked like it was going to turn against us at the last moment. Two days prior to the event the Weather Bureau issued a Major flood warning for the Mitchell River which would have cut the main access to Bullumwaal. However the prediction was a little bit out, the road remained open and the weather on the big day could not have been better. This event was a huge team effort by the branch assisted by West Gippsland Branch, ABC Radio, Bairnsdale Historical Society and the Bullumwaal Hall Committee and local residents who welcomed us to their historic town. Doug Stone catches up with branch treasurer Jen Eaton My thanks to all those who took part in the setup, execution and clean up afterwards. Also thank you to member Dean Smith for his donation of two replicas of The team have great plans for field Gippsland nuggets. trips on a regular basis, that are totally One of our members Howard Short relevant to experienced detectorists, has made available a set of Victorian water workers including panners and personal number plates which will be sluice operators (and so much more) As usual it all happened too quickly auctioned at the AGM. These plates in and around the super rich goldfields and the camp was over. read PMAVIC in white letters page 24 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

25 on a blue background and will be transferred to the final lucky winner. You will have to be there on the day. These number plates will be auctioned at this year s PMAV AGM. Brian Bateson, Branch President Branch meets RSL Hall, Stratford - last Thursday of each month. West Gippsland (Drouin) Branch So far this quarter we have had trips away to Happy Valley, Castlemaine, Bullumwaal, Donnellys Creek and several trips to Waanyarra. In Waanyarra alone since Christmas our members have unearthed about 130 nuggets, up to 10 grams in size. Alan Ramsdale heard there was gold in Donnellys Creek so he drove his Suzuki straight in like some sort of unhinged submarine, water filled the cab. So he sat on the roof and waited for help. Photos of this unfortunate event would be appreciated by the Echo editor! Many of our members are busy preparing for their three month extended trips to Western Australia. Our branch has grown by another five members. Once again Doug Stone will give us a talk at our April meeting, this time talking about his newly released relic/ gold books. Recently the manager of the Ambulance Service of Warragul said something of interest to our club. If you are ever injured in the bush but can still get phone coverage, all ambulances are equipped with GPS technology, wherever you are just give them the GPS coordinates and they will find you. This could be helpful because some of the roads and places we go are just not on a map. Branch meets CWA Hall, 10 Sinclair St, Drouin - second Thursday of each month. Melbourne Branch Christmas has come and gone and the new year brings a new look to the Melbourne branch as we now have a monthly newsletter which is available via . If you would like to be added to the list, please send an to: mark@impactauto.com.au As for outings so far this year Melbourne branch has been on two. The first was a trip in February to Andersons Creek which saw twenty or so members attend. A good day was had by all but not a lot gold was found. March saw only five members venture to Donnelley s creek for a weekend camping trip combined with the Nissan 4x4 club. Although weather forecasts were for a wet weekend, which no doubt deterred a few members, a fine and sunny weekend was had with good colour found by all. We have had guest speakers at both our branch meetings this year. The first being Dean Bradley from Mandalay Resources to give us a talk on Mandalay s mining operations at Graytown. Peter Maffey getting detailed instruction from Dean Smith. Then in March, PMAV member Dean Smith who works for the Melbourne Museum gave us a talk and demonstration on how to make replica nuggets by making a replica of a 2 ounce nugget that he had found detecting. Now with the colder weather approaching gold prospecting will turn to detecting with a weekend trip planned to Heathcote in May. Cheers Mark Craig - Branch Co-ordinator Branch meets 7.30 on the second Tuesday each month (except January) at Miners Den, 517 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham (Behind Subway). Goldfields Central The Goldfields Central branch is continuing to attract a wide range of prospectors. It is fantastic that there is so much interest in prospecting in this area. Three meetings have been held already this year which have all been well attended. The meetings are certainly well worth attending as the information that has been shared has been very informative for both new and experienced prospectors alike. Keynote speakers have been organised for most of the meetings and this year have so far included John Gladdis from Coiltek and John Tully of John Tully Maps. Both of these speakers were very generous with the information that they shared and everybody went away a little wiser, determined to do things differently to find more gold. Gold nuggets continue to turn up at the branch meetings. A beautiful looking 5 oz nugget was brought along to the last meeting. This nugget was found a few years ago in the Ballarat area in an area that normally wouldn t be looked at. The first field trip for the year was held on a very warm day in January in Talbot at a spot where 17oz had previously been found by a member of the club. Two small nuggets were found for the day. Again a BBQ lunch was cooked for everyone, many big gold stories were swapped and the camaraderie was great. The group is keenly looking forward to the next outing in April. Darren Kamp, Branch Coordinator Branch meets at the National Hotel, Clunes 3rd Wednesday of each month Grampians Branch is in recess. Anyone interested in taking a coordination role for this branch please contact any Committee member The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 25

26 Prospecting Clubs Prospecting club meeting dates are available from the clubs directly, as follows: Rushworth Prospecting Club....phone Victorian Metal Detector & Prospecting Association meets at Dandenong,... phone: Victorian Seekers Club meets at Mulgrave,... phone: Victorian Fossickers Club meets at Lilydale,...phone: Bendigo Prospectors Club meets at Bendigo,... phone: Ivanhoe Fossickers Club,... phone: Moorabbin Prospecting and Camping Club meet at Moorabbin,... phone: Sunbury Metal Detecting Club meets at Sunbury,... phone: Geelong Prospecting Club meets at Hamlyn Heights,... phone: Peninsula Metal Detecting and Prospecting Club,... phone: South East Detector Club,... phone: Central Coast Prospecting Club,... phone: Canberra Lapidary Club (fossicking group),... phone: Brisbane Metal Detecting Club,... phone: Sydney Electronics & Prospecting Club,... phone: Amalgamated Prospectors & Leaseholders Association of WA,... phone: Northern Territory Prospectors & Detectorist Association,... phone: Gold Detecting and Prospecting... Web Forum: Please send additions or corrections to this list to GPO Box 1706, Melbourne Vic 3001 or to: 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 26 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012

27 From Rags to Riches. As a lot of you will know, Darren Kamp of Gold & Relics, has found an impressive amount of gold in the Western Australian goldfields. 12 day Kalgoorlie Gold Prospecting Adventure Tour Be one of the first prospectors to explore for gold at these top secret gold producing areas." The Western Australian goldfields are like a second home to Darren. He has been heading West detecting for gold for over 15 years. Darren has met and learnt a great deal about prospecting for gold in Western Australia from many successful local and indigenous prospectors. The knowledge that has been imparted to Darren has been passed down from generation to generation. Due to pressure from many prospectors for Darren to host a Western Australian Gold Adventure Tour he has finally given in. The result is that Darren is hosting his first Western Australia Gold Prospecting Adventure Tour for Ring Darren Kamp now on Now, Darren wants to share his knowledge of prospecting the W.A. Goldfields with you. Tour 1: Tour 2: Tour 3: 3 Tours in rd May-4th June 12th June-24th June 7th-19th August 12 days Tag-a-long Introductory Special: Usually $ Now only $ *35% discount Places are very limited. At these prices you must book quickly. *Only valid for bookings made in May Can you afford to miss this opportunity? 28 Fraser Street, Clunes Book Now! The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012 page 27

28 Your one-stop shop for honest advice and service you expect ESTABLISHED IN 1979 We are the largest suppliers of prospecting equipment in Australia with over 30 years in business and a name you can trust Gold detectors Coin and treasure detectors Amplifiers and Boosters Headphones Wide range of coils (Coiltek, Nugget Finder and many others) Batteries and chargers Padded bags and protective covers Plus many other detector spares Minelab Metal Detectors Keene Engineering equipment Prospectors Choice sluices Outback Prospector DVDs Rock crushers and dry blowers Dredges and sluices Angus Mackirk products Gold pans, sieves and gold scales Picks and chisels Display boxes and magnifi ers Australia s largest stockist of maps and books ORDER ONLINE Visit our website for our wide range of gear at the most competitive prices. SEE US FOR NEW OR USED DETECTORS ALL WITH WARRANTY Australia wide mail order is no problem! We have negotiated HUGE DISCOUNTS on freight, which we pass on to you. We Buy Gold Prospecting Tours in Bendigo/Goldfi elds NEW STORE Miners Den Melbourne 517 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham, Victoria 3132 Phone: minersdenmelb@bigpond.com.au Bendigo Gold World 109 Watson Street, Bendigo, Victoria 3550 Phone: goldrocks@bendigogold.com.au NEW STORE Miners Den Sydney 411 Church Street, Parramatta, NSW 2151 Phone: mdnsw@bigpond.com.au page 28 The Eureka ECHO Autumn 2012