Fossicking & Prospecting

Gold has been found in the hills and valleys around Bright since the mid 1800s. For the experienced seeker it is still there to be found. A gold pan should bring you a showing of gold from the rivers if you know where to pick the right spots. Some times throughout the year, especially during the Autumn Festival, gold panning tours are arranged.

There is much other history and relics of gold mining in the area and those interested should visit the Bright Museum, the Gold Museum, the Gold Battery, or take a walk on the Canyon Walk where interpretive signs explain much of the alluvial gold history of the area or walk through the Diggings Walk in Wandiligong.

For the part played by the Chinese gold prospectors in Bright’s history a trip down the Buckland River valley is a must. A local historian, Dianne Talbot , has written several books on the gold history of Bright and the Buckland Valley.