Giving a loved one a miner's right on Mother's Day is a great way to introduce the family to Victoria's historic regions, the excitement of exploring for gold – and it could result in a valuable discovery.
Regional Victoria might not exactly be paved with gold, but you never know when someone will stumble across a nugget, as a lucky family did while walking their dog north of Bendigo on Mother's Day in 2021. At the time, the 20-ounce chance discovery was estimated to be worth around $70,000 at today's prices.
Recreational prospecting is a way of looking for gold or gems using metal detectors, picks, shovels, sieves and pans. Windfall finds have occurred regularly in recent years.
Last October a nugget weighing 119 grams was found between Inglewood and Wedderburn by two prospectors using a metal detector- one of the men was trying his hand for the first time.
Earlier in 2023 a prospector using a metal detector discovered a 4.6kg nugget, valued at over $550,000, in Victoria's Golden Triangle in the state' central west. A gold nugget worth about $300,000 was also discovered in the same area in 2019.
Prospecting is regulated in Victoria which means you need to possess a miner's right, which allows you to keep any gold you find. There are almost 87,000 active miner's rights in Victoria and the rush to get involved shows no sign of slowing with more than 11,000 purchased in during 2023.
With more people out and about looking for gold, recreational prospectors need to understand where and how they can search for gold. For example, the use of mechanical equipment or explosives is not permitted, vegetation and Aboriginal objects must not be removed or damaged.
Inspectors from Resources Victoria frequently check that prospectors are licenced, panning in permitted areas and complying with environmental safeguards.
Recreational prospecting is permitted in state forests and in designated areas of some national, state, historic and heritage parks.
Prospectors must also obey all other public land rules, including driving only on public tracks or roads, taking all rubbish home and immediately restoring the area by backfilling any holes and replacing leaf litter.
Resources Victoria has a Guide to Recreational Prospecting in Victoria and a helpful video, both can be accessed by visiting resources.vic.gov.au/fossicking, where a miner's right can also be purchased for $27.
Quotes attributable to Resources Victoria CEO Matt Vincent
"Giving mum a miner's right on Mother's Day is a great way to introduce loved ones to the state's historic gold regions and the enjoyment of searching for gold using metal detectors or hand tools like sieves and pans– and it could result in a discovery!"
"Buying a miner's right for $27 could be the best investment you ever make!"
