Latest equipment links with history

THE bush around Wedderburn has been worked for gold over and over again since the 1850s.

And every time, there’s been treasure of some kind found in later years by prospectors using a Minelab detector.

Minelab is the major sponsor of the Wedderburn Detector Jamboree and makes sure modern prospectors are armed with the best equipment to use in their quest for gold.

They know that once you’ve made the decision to buy a metal detector and get home with it, you no doubt can’t wait to get started with some detecting.

But where exactly should you start? You can take your detector with you practically anywhere – the opportunities are endless and limited only by your imagination.

Finds can be made anywhere; you only need to take a look at any recent detecting magazine or website and you will see that there is an abundance of amazing finds being made. This shows there are still plenty of treasures waiting to be found, but some sites are more productive than others, so it helps to know the best type of places to go detecting.

All it takes is a little bit of research to identify the most promising and productive goldfields or treasure hunting sites to detect.

There are many different types of valuable objects you can find with your metal detector, such as rare coins, ancient relics, lost jewellery and gold nuggets. Nuggets are generally found in different places to where you would typically find coins, relics or jewellery, so where you go detecting depends greatly on what you would like to find.

The best places to detect for gold nuggets are where gold has previously been found, and surrounding areas with similar geology. So again, do your research to find out about historic goldfields. Such as: z Tailings from goldmine sites z Old diggings (areas where pros- pectors dug for gold in the 1800s) z In or near streams where gold can be panned z Dry-blowing locations (usually in arid areas where water was scarce) z Old reef mine dumps and slopes

“When detecting for coins, relics or jewellery, use your imagination –anywhere people are likely to have left things behind – you are likely to make good finds,” says Minelab.

“Also, don’t forget the places right under your feet; you never know what you might dig up even in your own backyard.

“Ideal sources for research are the local library or historical society, Government Department of Mines, newspaper archives, local town plans, etc. Don’t forget to talk to the local people. They’ll often tell you about the popular swimming holes they used when growing up, the field that used to be a sports ground or perhaps a park that was used for a local market.

“These links to the past are all potential hot spots for you and your detector. The older the site is, the better – as your potential to find coins and relics from long ago increases.”

And Minelab tells its customers: Always remember to obtain permission to enter and detect on private property.