The Victorian Prospector’s Guide and Handbook

The Victorian Prospector’s Guide and Handbook is a long-running reference guide for anyone interested in gold prospecting, geology and mineral exploration in Victoria.

First published in the 1890s and updated through numerous editions since, the guide combines historical prospecting knowledge with more modern information on metal detecting, prospecting methods and the rules surrounding recreational prospecting in Victoria.

What’s Inside

The guide covers a wide range of useful prospecting topics, including:

• Types of gold deposits
• Methods of prospecting for gold
• Victorian geology
• Gold-bearing ground and how it forms
• Brief descriptions of Victorian goldfields
• Gemstones and other economic minerals
• Prospecting techniques and equipment
• Metal detecting
• Practical guidance on where and how to prospect
• Prospecting regulations and general do’s and don’ts

It also contains a selection of historic and modern photographs, giving readers a look at both traditional and contemporary prospecting in Victoria.

A Useful Introduction to Victorian Gold Prospecting

For someone just getting started, the book provides a useful foundation for understanding why gold occurs where it does, the different ways it has historically been recovered and the types of ground prospectors look for.

More experienced prospectors may also find the sections on geology, gold deposits and individual Victorian goldfields useful when researching new areas or trying to better understand the ground they are detecting.

More Than Just Gold

While gold is a major focus, the handbook also covers gemstones and other minerals found throughout Victoria, making it a useful general reference for fossickers and mineral enthusiasts as well as gold prospectors.

A Victorian Prospecting Classic

With material tracing back to the original guide published in the late nineteenth century, The Victorian Prospector’s Guide and Handbook provides an interesting combination of practical prospecting information and Victorian mining history.

Whether you are new to prospecting, researching Victorian goldfields or simply interested in the history and geology of the state’s gold country, this is a handy reference to keep in the prospecting library.