General News
10 March, 2023
Going for gold
WHEN gold was discovered literally laying on the rocky ground around Wedderburn in the 1850s, miners tried their luck on Hard Hill. The historic mining reserve is where today hundreds of treasure hunters take part in the Minelab Wedderburn Detector...
WHEN gold was discovered literally laying on the rocky ground around Wedderburn in the 1850s, miners tried their luck on Hard Hill.
The historic mining reserve is where today hundreds of treasure hunters take part in the Minelab Wedderburn Detector Jamboree every March long weekend.
The jamboree brings hundreds of prospectors equipped with technology still to be invented when miners first tried their luck on the hill where the landscape is still pitted with gullies and shafts that yielded some new wealth.
Today’s prospectors do find the old speck of gold or even a small specimen. But it’s one of the tokens that brings most excitement in the authentic gold detecting experience.
The tokens go into a competition with the winning collecting a new Minelab detector with all the technology to unearth their next special find - gold, coins, medallions, buttons and buckles overlooked by the passing decades.
Participants in the junior and open token hunts vie for generous prizes, while spectators can enjoy children’s activities, tour local attractions and test their luck with lucky draw prizes.
Entry for senior participants costs $55, which covers breakfast on both days and live entertainment, or $45 for one day. Non-participants are free.
This family-friendly event also includes prospecting and gold panning competitions for all ages and demonstrations in the art that once saw miners wash dirt in the beds of local creeks and rivers.
The weekend also has a town garage sale, live music and market stalls.
The program gets underway with breakfast on the Saturday, followed by a briefing before contestants head out to the bush to search for this year’s allocation of metal tokens.
Sunday sees children aged eight to 16 years encouraged to try their hand at finding the tokens, with prizes of three new detectors on offer.
The Jamboree has become a “must” on many prospectors’ calendars since its beginnings in 1998, both for the competition and the chance to catch up with fellow enthusiasts.
The event normally attracts 150-180 entrants for the token hunt, plus families and friends.
The major prize in the senior token hunt is a Minelab GPX 5000 detector valued at $4999 and other donations are from Coiltek, Wedderburn Tourism and regional and local businesses.