North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

It may be the end for gold fossicking in the NT after the Territory Labor Government passed legislation that makes it all but impossible for people to fossick for gold.

At the same time the wealth and rights of big miners and pastoralists have grown. Keep in mind that pastoral leases are intended for growing cows, the leaseholders are now getting a lot of other extras, including exclusive access to waters, and now (effectively) exclusive access to surface gold and gems, thanks to weak government.

The new rules include restrictive provisions that, among other things, make it illegal for prospectors to possess more than 100g of gold.

It seems Territory Labor has become an arm of the wealthy rather than the traditional base of the worker.

Legislation here ... http://www.nt.gov.au/d/Minerals_Energy/

North Australian Fishing and Outdoors Magazine will no longer carry a prospecting column, there is no longer any point.

Prospecting tourism is big business in other states, there are prospecting tours in some small regional towns.

You may recall that the NT Pastoral Lands Act once contained a provision for compulsory nominated access tracks to perennial water. This was to promote recreational fishing. This was a bold and progressive move, but it got nowhere once pastoralists got wind of it.

Wow, had no idea this was going on, It seem if you have money you pretty much do what ever you like including push government in your own direction of making more money and not sharing. Surely those who choose to do it weekend as a hobby are not really make much money otherwise everyone would be doing it. I'd be keen to here more from those who enjoy fossicking as much as I love fishing. Does that mean when they have 100g of gold they have to off load it straight away before they can find more???? Or can they take it home and then go back for more???

Thanks for the info Matt
I spent about 8 years full time prospecting in every state around Oz with a detector.
I loved it and found my fair share of gold.
NSW have a law that doesnt allow you to take more than 31.5 g (1oz) per day. so in theory, if you found a 32g nugget, you werent allowed to take it. yeah right.
I would have loved to be able to find an oz per day.
I sold the last of my gold some time ago for a good rate at the time = $380/oz. I wish i still had a few oz left.

Prospecting can be very rewarding in that the research you need to do before ever visiting a location can make you feel like you are back in the olden days (except that you have it a lot better these days)

A few of my mates have struck big pots and bought houses/cars/boats from their finds.
me not so lucky. one mate found 1 1kg lump one day and then 2 days later he foung a 2kg lump. very nice.

these days with my bung knee, its really difficult to kneel down and sift thru the dirt. I havent turned it on for a couple of years .
Anyone wanna buy a detector with all the goodies???
I saw an old bloke pick up a 96 oz lump in an area that had been heavily detected over the years. it seems that eyeryone before him just thought the signal was too big to be gold and moved on.

there is still a lot of gold to be found. Ive even picked it up from right on the surface (specking)

Old bloke gave me young feller a gold pan and showed him how to use it, every ck between Cairns/Weipa got a going over, had to stop takin' him on trips with me. Still a lot of gold around, quite a few promising areas I'd like to go back to for a serious look..maybe when I'm too old to keep workin'.

I have always been interested in it but I havnt got a clue what to do.. Seems a shame the gov has gone and done this.

Bugger, eh? I just found a 101gm nugget & had to leave it there!

theodosius wrote:Bugger, eh? I just found a 101gm nugget & had to leave it there!

Good on you for being a law abiding citizen.
I wish there were more like you. You should mark the position on your gps and post it here so others dont go thru the same distress of having to leave it behind .

What the politicians and bureaucrats seem to forget is that almost All of our gold mines were found long ago by prospectors, not Mining Companies. The first gold found in the Top End was at the Shackle Creek on the Grove Hill road in 1872. It was found by workers digging holes for the Overland Telegraph line posts. The source of that gold still hasn't been found ! (but I'm getting close : ) The prospectors then spread far and wide and found The Golden Dyke and numerous other gold and tin reefs and their alluvial deposits. There are literally hundreds of good reefs laying idle in the Top End. Mining companies are not interested in them because they are too small, so why not let the little bloke in to have a go?

In the 1930's the SA Gov't sent a team of geologists to Tennant Creek to look for gold. They spent six weeks there and then gave the opinion that it wasn't gold country. The rush there started years later when an Aboriginal found a nugget in the creek where the Mary Anne Dam is now. The area went on to produce many tons of gold and copper for years.The same thing happened in Charters Towers (QLD) in 1872 when an Aboriginal found a nugget in a creek. It turned out to be one of the richest gold fields in Australia.

The Top Ends most famous nuggety diggings (Margaret Diggings) was found by a prospector in 1880. The source of that gold still hasn't been found despite numerous Mining Companies holding the ground for years. I saw over 40 ounces of nuggets found there last year. If the source is ever found It will be by someone swinging a metal detector and he/she won't be a company geologist.

The richest nugget patch found in recent years (500 ozs) was in the Marrakai subdivision on the Arnhem Highway. It was found by ex buffalo shooter and butcher, Steve Lewis R.I.P. That area had been explored by Mining Companies for many years but they found nothing.

It's time to fly the Southern Cross flag again before this ridiculous legislation goes Australia wide. The heroes of the Eureka Stockade must be turning in their graves ! This legislation is a disgrace and un-Australian.

Yep, NT fishos don't have the same river access as our southern counterparts. I believe along the Murray, it is law to provide access at least every 2 miles (ie: gate). That's leasehold, freehold, whatever. Works down there, why can't it work here, especially since the properties are so much larger?

True enough Audigga.
in Vic, prospectors were given a reward for finding and opening new gold bearing locations.
charters Towers was attributed to Mulligan who collected the reward and moved on very quickly after the find. He also opened up Mt Mulligan fields.
The Palmer river fields (FNQ) still produce lots of gold.
The golden triangle in vic still produces gold nuggets on a regular basis. The vast majority of my gold came from this area.
The saying "dont leave fish to find fish" also goes for gold. BUT, many of my finds were virgin areas way away from the renowned fields like Dunnolly etc.
A few years ago, i was at Burrendong dam near Stuart Town NSW during the drought. The dam levels had never been so low since the dam went in. . There were real 'gold looking' areas there just waiting to be looked at.
I tried to return before the rains filled the dam but fishing got in the way....

Hmmmmm I still have my "perpetual" gold licence somewhere.

Got it back in the late 80's after picking up an old detector at the former? vehicle auction place behind the old Shell Airport Gates.

Never did go in to have it converted to the better newer gold licence, which I guess was not really newer or better after all.

Have only ever found rusty things anyway.

garrynt wrote:
Have only ever found rusty things anyway.

I think the ratio of shiny things to rubbish is about 500:1 when you start and gets better the more you research.
I reckon I found 20000 lead projectiles (from 22's to musket balls) before I found my firat bit of gold. I nearly chucked it away

just the beginning people. wait until the water wars really kick in.

I dont see the point of restricting this kind of activity.
The gold found is to small deposits to be of intrest to mining companys.
Promoting fossicing on a tourisim scale would be more benificial to the NT

The rot is creeping in to all facets of our lives.
Soon you'll need a permit to fart.

Kev