Looking For Pointers, Areas I Can Legally Detect (Some Finds).

[Hookka]

Hey guys, I'm new to oz and currently converting a van into a camper to then try my hand at prospecting for a bit!

I'm still working on the van as it was a pretty big undertaking and when I need to blow off steam between Bunnings runs I'd like to do some coin shooting and relic hunting.

I've already had some exceptional luck finding an armed forces active service medal with a serial number on the back (if anyone knows how to find out more about that please let me know) and some Aussie silvers but now I'm in a new area looking for new spots.

There's a very small park here with a playground but the playground is the majority of the area, and a sports oval next to it. I was thinking about trying the sports oval for surface Goldie's and curiousity to see if there was anything that looked good on the nox's vdi but am not sure if that is legal/illegal/frowned upon etc.

I'm in Vic and the area has some interesting history and after looking through some maps on trove I found that the park nearby had some local businesses and pretty much the whole grassy strip of that side of my town has been in use for quite a while. I went to go poking around and found a roo penny and some goldie's and then the police showed up.

The police just wanted to know what I was doing because someone called in and said there was someone in the park with a headtorch so they came to check it out and we're very polite about everything. While they checked my ID I had a chat with one of them about metal detecting and how I like to shoot for coins and when he asked why I was there at night (10pm) I told him it was just out of habit after beach detecting where I used to live and that I also just like to be able to not bother anyone be able to roam wherever. In the end they gave me my ID and didn't ask me to leave, I was wrapping up anyway so I went home and realized I should have asked them where I am allowed or not to detect but it was too late..

I wouldn't mind going back to that park or the playground nearby but I've hit them pretty hard and am looking for older coins and potential relics jewelry and want to try some other parks but I am along the yarra and many of it's feeder creeks and I know that brings a whole separate set of laws in about fossicking around there. Previously when I was staying in another location around melbourne I detected at a park and found some silvers but before that I noticed a couple giving me some shocked and kind of angry looks when I was just detecting around and hadn't dug any plugs or anything yet.

Basically I am pretty confused about the laws here. I know I can go on crown land that is not withing 20m of the yarra or its tributaries around here which seems to all be private property. The playgrounds at parks seem alright but I'm not really sure about where else?

 

[Dave79]

Ha ha, no real laws or overall guidelines for most areas. If there's no signs saying no digging and detecting and it's not a heritage or declared historical site I say give it a try. if there's council laws that aren't clearly stated with signs you'll probably just get a warning first time!

 

[mudgee hunter]

Try emailing the council of the area, explain how you will re-plug etc, and what parks, reserves you intend to try. If you get an ok, print it off and keep it with you.
The biggest challenge is sending it to the right area and person for an ok to do so!
They will worry about you digging up a water service etc.
But I would probably swing to the dig and see...
Google images of old show grounds of your area etc.
Some parks/reserves have by-law signs etc.
How you / we leave it will determine how it is acted upon. A good plug, ( not on the 18th green) will determin a rangers opinion.

 

[Goldpick]

Best to steer clear of oval surfaces unless you have permission of the caretaker/groundsman, stick to the extremities/playgrounds as you can still make good finds there. Can't say I have had issues with the police before despite them seeing me detecting at night, they usually have better things to with their time and give me a wave before moving on.

Victoria has some different laws on digging up finds over 50 year old, though it is always debatable on whether those laws are enforceable in the real world - more a case of not detecting obvious heritage or historic areas where they may have a case on prosecuting you for removing historical artifacts. A lot of good finds are made these days by getting permissions in regional areas on private properties that have old house sites/sports grounds etc. In that case the property owner has rights to any older finds on their property, so up to you to negotiate with them on what you keep or share with the owner.

Whether councils allow detecting will vary in all areas, some have no issue whilst others frown upon it, especially if having issues in the past with detectorists causing damage. Generally I will avoid well manicured lawns, areas with buried reticulation, or detecting in front of homes - people have a habit of reporting detectorists even if council rangers have no issue with the hobby. Most councils will have by-laws that are not specific to detecting, though can be interpreted by them as they see fit to deal with those causing willful damage to grassed areas and buried reticulation. All you can do is just move on if asked to do so, and ensure in the first pace that your recovery methods are well practiced and leave little or no trace of being there.

Also may pay to get a prospectors licence if detecting around the goldfield areas, as I don't think the authorities will differentiate between prospecting for gold or looking for coins/relics, better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Hookka]

Thank you guys for the replies, I should have mentioned I have my miners right. I plan to prospect anyway but I wanted to have it early to prevent any issues if I was just metal detecting.

I guess I'll have to ask for some permissions. I can always just continue with parks I guess and ask some council's.

 

[just starting]

Be careful of heritage sites if you go bush.I live in an area with heritage listings everywhere.I know where i am allowed to be and where the boundaries are.

One bloke up this way ( Ballarat ) got caught detecting in a heritage area and had his equipment and vehicle confiscated . Best to know where all the heritage and reserve sites are so you don`t end up in this situation. Beware also of fencelines / boundary lines . Bushfires will burn down fencelines and sometimes the fences never get rebuilt ,so you could be encroaching on private property . It has happened to me,but i was lucky enough to get onto some places to look around when i knew the property owners.
Some old mine sites are now on private property ,so be mindful of that ,too. Keep away from sporting ovals. There was an incident a few years` back in Maryborough where a bloke dug all these gopher holes at Princes park and they couldn`t play footy on the oval until it was fixed. Google it. It`s not all bad ,though , Hookka. Plenty of places to go and a lot of fantastic forest areas to explore and enjoy.

Sounds like you are already having fun detecting here and you are off to a good start with your finds. Keep it up ,mate.

FOZ

 

[ctxkid]

i find doing my own research is one of the greater rewards