Maldon Goldfield Prospecting Map – Discover Victoria’s Best-Preserved Historic Goldfield

Step into one of the most famous and richly auriferous goldfields in Victoria with the Maldon Goldfield prospecting map. Known as "the best-preserved historic gold mining town in Australia," Maldon is a true gold rush icon, offering a landscape packed with rich quartz reefs, nugget-producing alluvial flats, and spectacular relics of the 19th-century mining boom.

With proven gold potential and incredible access to historic workings, Maldon remains a top destination for modern detectorists, fossickers, and goldfield explorers alike.

 

🪙 Historical Overview: Maldon’s Golden Age

Gold was first discovered in Maldon in 1853, triggering one of Victoria’s fastest and richest local rushes. By the 1860s, Maldon was a thriving mining center famed for its incredibly rich quartz reefs, some of which yielded ounce-per-ton ore. The Nuggetty Reef, Derby Reef, Beehive Reef, and Tarrengower Reef were among the richest in Australia.

Unlike many other fields, Maldon’s focus was always primarily reef mining, though numerous gullies, flats, and shallow leads also produced significant alluvial gold.

Mining activity surged through the late 19th century, with occasional revivals into the 20th century. Today, Maldon’s goldfield remains an active fossicking area, with nuggets, specimens, and fine gold still being recovered.

 

✨ Notable Finds & Field Highlights

Extremely rich reefs produced gold visible in quartz, with some returns exceeding 2–3 oz per ton

Famous nuggets were found in surrounding gullies and shallow drift, including multiple finds over 20 ounces

The Nuggetty Reef is world-renowned for its large crystalline gold specimens

Abundant remains of quartz crushing batteries, poppet heads, and mining shafts are visible across the landscape

Significant finds continue today by metal detectorists, especially around Nuggetty Hills, German Gully, and Derby Reef areas

 

🥾 Ideal For:

Detectorists searching for specimen gold, reef nuggets, and alluvial gold

Panners exploring historic gullies and shallow terraces

History buffs touring Victoria’s most intact gold mining heritage landscape

Beginner and expert prospectors wanting easy access to proven gold country

 

⚠️ Access & Fossicking Notes

Much of the Maldon goldfield lies within State Forest and Crown Land, making it legally fossickable with a valid Victorian Miner’s Right. Some parts are within heritage conservation areas—prospectors must avoid disturbing protected structures or sites, but fossicking is permitted in designated zones. Maldon township offers excellent facilities, accommodation, and supplies for visitors.

Popular fossicking areas include:

Nuggetty Hills

German Gully

Long Gully

Porcupine Flat

Around the base of Mount Tarrengower

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Experience the Spirit of the Gold Rush at Maldon – With our Maldon Goldfield prospecting maps, you can trace the footsteps of 19th-century miners through one of Victoria’s richest and most historically significant gold districts. From high-grade quartz reefs to nugget-rich gullies, Maldon is where gold, history, and adventure meet.

 

Link to the Maldon Goldfield Map 1967:

https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE15499025&mode=browse