The days of the gold rush have long since passed but there are STILL PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GET OUT AND FIND YOUR OWN GOLD.

Bathurst has a long history of gold mining. The first gold ever discovered in Australia was found near Bathurst in 1823, first by convicts then by James McBrien who noted its presence while surveying the Fish River. Fearing unrest in the young colony, the government suppressed new of these discoveries. It wasn’t until migration started to shift from Australia to America for the Californian Gold Rush that the government was prompted to offer an award for the discovery of gold in NSW.

This award was granted to Edward Hargraves in 1851 with a specimen taken from Summer Hill Creek near Ophir. This discovered was later contested with an inquiry concluding it was his companions John Lister and brothers William and James Tom who had actually made the discovery.

Soon after, THOUSANDS OF HOPEFUL MINERS were digging around Bathurst and the surrounding region, bringing in new free settlers from all over Australia and overseas.

Today the allure of gold still draws visitors to Bathurst and the surrounding area with plenty of people still making regular finds. You can go out and try your luck in the Bathurst region with TWO PUBLIC FOSSICKING AREAS CLOSE TO BATHURST and five local businesses that offer gold panning tours and services to suit any group. 

All fossicking must abide by NSW Fossicking guidelines found in  A Guide to Fossicking in NSW.