2025 AGM and field trip to Mathinna

[miguel]

Hi everyone,

Our 2025 AGM will be held on Saturday 15th of March at 9:00 am at Mathinna.

After the AGM, we will spend the day fossicking around Mathinna, and re-convene at the Marquee for our raffle at 4:00 pm. If you’re a member, memberships are now due, please bring cash as we don’t have any EFTPOS facilities. If you’re looking to join, then please see any of the committee who’ll be milling around on the day.

If you would like to volunteer for the committee, please get in touch.

Mathinna is the site of the New Golden Gate Mine, Tasmania’s second-richest mine after Beaconsfield, which produced about 260,000 ounces (~8 tons) of gold. A huge number of smaller mines dot the hills around the town, and the two creeks to the east and west (Long Gully and Black Horse Gully) hosted an early rush digging for alluvial gold.

Meeting location

We will be meeting at Long Gully, just off Golden Gate Road. We will have our usual marquee set up, and signage at the turn-off from Golden Gate Rd.

In addition to the AGM, we will have some merchandise, a raffle, and bags of wash for sale.

Raffle

We will have our usual raffle with tickets at $5 each or 3 for $10. This year’s raffle has a huge amount of prizes, close to $2,000 in value, thanks mainly to @wilsonag, among them:

• Panning kit from Aussie Detectorist
• Car Care pack from BP Oatlands
• Shovel from Nutrien Ag Solutions Oatlands
• Stainless steel pick and crevice hook from Tyger
• Paydirt bags, Doug Stone gold book and Minelab panning kit from Miners Den Australia
• Scales + display case, scales + scoop, pan + scales + snuffer, small pick + hat + snuffer from Coiltek Gold Centre, Maryborough
• Snuffer + stubby holder, finds pouch, stealth digging tool and detecting battery pack from Detect Ed
• 10-inch sluice, Gold Rat kit, Gold Rat snuffer bottles from Gold Rat Engineering

Make sure you get your tickets!

Getting there

Travel to Mathinna, and drive south along High Street. Turn east onto Dunn St., and turn south just before St. George’s Anglican Church. The turn into Long Gully is approximately 2.1 km past the church. If you cross Long Gully Creek, you’ve gone too far.

Camping

There are a few different options for camping in the general area.

Griffin camping area

The nicest place to camp is in the Griffin Camping Area, about 7 km from Mathinna on the north side of the South Esk River. It’s a beautiful camping area with toilets and a huge amount of room.

The road in is a little rough and if you have a low-clearance 2WD you might want to look at one of the other alternatives.

Mathinna Oval

Mathinna Oval has toilets and a barbecue area, and allows camping.

Esk River Bridge

There is a small camping area in the corner of Mathinna Plains Rd and Eton Rd, on the northern side of the bridge over the South Esk River. The site has a toilet.

See you all there!!!

[Drystone]

Sounds great Miguel,
I look forward to catching up with everybody
Just a reminder that wiggle sticks are lively this time of year, so long pants and leg protection (ie gaiters) are the go.

Save some raffle tickets for me!

Cheers
Andrew

[Wilsonag]

A couple of photos of some of the raffle prizes for this years club raffle
I have been blown away with the generosity of all the people I have asked to donate this year with prizes coming from as far away as QLD , NSW and Victoria
The raffle is a main fundraiser for our club so please buy a ticket or two

[Kristina]

Well done Andrew, thankyou so much

[Bdawg]

I’m definitely coming up for the weekend. Just the raffle prizes alone have got me salivating!

Mathinna and the surrounding area is under an EL “pending renewal”. What does this mean for us in terms of detecting/prospecting?

Cheers

Blake

[Wilsonag]

I have been asked if the track into the griffin camp ground would be suitable to take a standard height caravan into there?
What would you suggest @miguel ?

[Jholmes]

Andrew, I have some raffle prizes too from Scottsdale area

[Wilsonag]

That’s great thank you much appreciated

[Drystone]

Good one Jeff, that’s excellent

[miguel]

There are a few different entrances into the camping area, and some are better than others. The main issue is that the track is a bit rutted, so you’d have to be careful at picking your line.

I don’t recall low-hanging trees being a problem, but the track was a bit steep so you’d want to make sure you had a 4WD if towing.

[Leigha]

Hi,
Were the calendars successful? I’d love one if there are any left. Maybe I could buy one at the agm if there are?

Cheers Leigha

[miguel]

Hi Blake,

There are several different tenement holders in the area, we’ll go into permissions during the AGM.

[chutney77]

Hi all, the Mathinna club has beverages and excellent pizza for purchase.

[Drystone]

Hi Leigha,
I don’t think we have the calendars yet, we need more high resolution pictures from members advetures/finds

[Matty]

Plenty of places to pan maybe run a sluice?

[miguel]

Hi @Matty, your main problem is going to be water, it’s been so dry. I’ve panned gold in Long Gully creek, near where we’ll have the marquee, but I’m not sure it will have water in it. It hasn’t rained for 6 weeks.

On that note, the forecast is looking nice and warm for the weekend, so please make sure you take plenty of water and stay hydrated while out in the bush.

[Jbee]

Hi Miguel,
I have been looking forward to this since the last AGM, but major surgery last week means I am out of action for a few months.
I do not want my membership to lapse though so is there a way I can pay direct for it. I would also like to buy 6 raffle tickets if possible. If any are winners you can pick my prizes and I will collect them at a later date .
Cheers John
All sorted @Wizzard_Smith has kindly offered to help me out

[ajhoman71]

Hi all.weather is looking good…we had a nice bit of rain round here…so hopefully mathinna had sum AGM looking good.plenty of prizes…an everyone keen to catch up…we need committee members …president. vice president…secretary. treasurer an committee members…pls put ya hand up…any thoughts or ideas…on direction of club pls yell out…club probably gunna have to phase out the checkbook…been talk of a facebook page…any ideas on new trips…im keen to sort one for sabbath area…with this new burnt ground be interesting…Weldborough…lake burbury…sorry folks bk ck is out …not shore of ph reception for mathinna way…plenty of very deep shafts that way…snakes…plenty of water…no eftpos so cash only…pls be patient with tickets membership etc its a rush at first…seems alot are going fri thru to sun…will see u all there…cheers andrew PS maybe a strong torch for exploring

.

[Drystone]

Thanks to all who made the AGM a success!

Between 45-50 people attended, with a warm welcome to those becoming new members.
The weather held its breath until Sat night which all would agree was exciting

The raffle was great, a big thank you to those who donated, the committee will make up thank you certificates to post out in due course.

Hope to catch you at the next trip,
cheers

[dhawley]

Thanks to everyone involved in organizing another great event. Good to see lots of new faces and all the ‘old’ regulars again.
The raffle was a beauty and I managed to shake my curse and come home with something for the first time.
After the the AGM I headed over to the gully recommended by Miguel and managed to find 2 little nuggets amongst all the ammunition, they must have had a serious problem with claim jumpers there.
I almost went straight home Sunday morning after a less than relaxing night, but headed back to the same spot the next morning, cleared a few fallen branches and managed 2 more bits.
The lot.

The gold.