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It is easier to place smaller amounts of gravel in the dish when you pan. Submerge the dish in the water and work the contents with your hands untilScale in kilometres 2 1 3 4 5 all clay is dissolved and all particles are moving free. You can leave0 the dish to soak if necessary. Some fossickers soak one dish while filling or finishing another. Clay is sticky and light; undissolved pieces can roll around the dish picking up particles of gold to be washed, taking the gold with it. When the pan is half to three-quarters full of gravel, place the dish in the water. Then try a gentle agitation to keep the gold at the bottom of the pan near the junction point. Repeat this until you can spread the remains by washing around the bottom of the pan. Beginners can vibrate the dish and contents while holding the pan. The idea is to create enough movement to work away the lower density material (clay, sand, rocks) but retain the higher density material – gold. Work the gold to the bottom of the pan. It will stay there because of its weight. The gold won’t work its way to the bottom if there is no movement. The slower you pan the better.
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A pelican pick or Chinese hoe is an ideal tool to scrape the surface of theMain Road Sealed Road gravel to remove the upper layer for panning. Unsealed Road
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How to pan for Gold
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Small floods will wash gold down to the bottom of a stream while extreme floods may result in gold stranded at the surface. Tree roots and large rocks provide traps for gold.
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The two most common rocks for gold to live in are quartz and ironstone. Most quartz and ironstone do not contain gold. Gemstones and alluvial gold collect in crevices in stream beds and in gravel bars on the insides of stream bends.
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ophir Ophir was the location of the discovery of the first payable gold in New South Wales in April 1851 and Australia’s first gold rush. Today Ophir is a recreation reserve of 560 hectares, located at the junction of the Lower Lewis Ponds and Summer Hill Creeks. In 1971 the area was made a Wildlife Refuge and fossicking was permitted in 1997. Fossicking is permitted within Ophir Reserve provided all conditions are complied with. Take along a picnic to have beneath the willows, fish for trout (you will 10 to obtain a licence), look for wildlife, wander in the historic cemetery need or explore the diggings along one of the walking trails. Care should be taken around open shafts. The reserve is open daily. Camping is also permitted.
Other places to fossick in the district Other places in the district that you may find gold are Temora, Young, Gulgong, Mudgee, Hill End, Sofala and Bathurst. Images courtesy – Meg Hoskin, Ophir Reserve Trust FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Orange Visitor Information Centre FREE CALL 1800 069 466 www.orange.nsw.gov.au
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You must take steps to protect the environment, i.e. any waterway (including the bank of the waterway) that may be habitat for native fish. The Fisheries Management Act 1994 regulates a range of activities including those that harm the habitat of native fish (including threatened species of fish) and recreational fishing.
Things you should know before you start
• R emoving or disturbing any material that is important habitat for fish (including threatened species of fish) from the bed or banks of a waterway including woody debris (snags) greater than 3m in length, large cobbles, rocks or boulders (greater than 500mm in diameter) or aquatic vegetation.
Fossicking is the small scale search for, and collection of, minerals, gemstones or mineral bearing material from the surface (or by digging from the surface) with hand-held implements. This activity may only be undertaken for recreational, tourist or educational purposes.
• P lacing or reshaping any material across a waterway that may obstruct the free passage of fish. If you wish to undertake recreational fishing while fossicking, please ensure you comply with the fishing regulations i.e. holding a fishing licence. Visit www.industry.nsw.gov
Fossicking offers an opportunity to discover the beauty and diversity of this state’s mineral wealth. It combines leisure, pleasure and ‘treasure’ all in one. Best of all, no licence is required under the Mining Act 1992.
You should avoid disturbing mud, clay or fine silt that causes significant turbidity in a waterway, as this could lead to a breach of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.
You must ensure that you comply with all relevant legislation. Visit www.industry.nsw.gov and search for Guide for Fossicking in NSW. Power-operated equipment including mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, battery and electrical equipment or machinery is prohibited on land or in waters for surface disturbance, excavation or processing.
Publicly owned minerals that are recovered in the course of lawful fossicking become the property of the person who found it at the time it is removed from the land on which it was found.
You should wear appropriate clothing, including a broad-rimmed hat and/ or jumper or raincoat, sunscreen, eye protection when smashing rocks and protective sturdy footwear to assist in the prevention of slipping.
Fossicking can take place on any land, provided that permission is obtained and subject to the following:
You can take no more than the amounts prescribed in the Mining Regulation 2009 during any single period of 48 hours. This includes 10kg of mineral, 5kg of minerals (other than gold or gemstones), 50 grams of gold (or five nuggets of 10 grams or greater) or 100 grams of gemstones (these include diamond, sapphire, ruby, corundum and opal).
Personal safety is the responsibility of the persons undertaking fossicking. Orange City Council is not responsible for the safety of people who are engaged in or impacted by fossicking activities.
• Fossicking is prohibited in National Parks • You must seek permission of the landholder for private land • C rown land that is managed, controlled or under trusteeship. You must seek permission of the trustee or manager of Crown Land or local authority to fossick on these lands. Information about the ownership or status of land can be obtained from local councils or the Land and Property Management Authority. • Y ou must seek permission from the relevant registered native title right where native title rights exist, under the Commonwealth’s Native Title Act 1993. • F ossickers must comply with any conditions or requirements of the landholder which may include tracks to use, paddocks to avoid – the use of gates, or periods of access.
Damage or removal of any bush rock is prohibited and disturbance of more than 1 cubic metre of any soil, rock or other material during any single period of 48 hours is prohibited. Fossicking sites must be left in a clean and tidy condition. Extreme care should be taken when fossicking near old mine workings or pits and do not enter these sites. Avoid visiting isolated areas alone. Always let someone know of your plans Make sure you take an adequate supply of water and have a basic knowledge of first aid