Matrix Reef Historical Area

[karelian]

An interesting area because it was first discovered when large gold specimens were found on the surface. An outcrop was soon identified as the source, named Matrix Reef. It is located on the Berlin Goldfields, on a hill. A number of rich gullies run off the hill. No 0, No 1, No2, No 3 gullies, all rich and nuggety. Lots of detailed information available with a simple Google search. Again located in Australia in the state of Victoria.

[karelian]

Images on No 1 gully, the lower part of the hill and the hillside as you move up the hill towards the mine shafts.

[karelian]

There are a number or open shafts, dangerous to kids and animals, dangerous area to so be careful if visiting.. They are located near the top part of the hill, shafts and open cuts. The hill sides are shallow and show few signs of being detected, although some detector holes were spotted.

[karelian]

Just some images of the ground, the shallow hillside and the soil, quartz etc. Gives you an idea of the area and the ground you are walking on. Some parts of the hill side were so shallow the trees were struggling to hold on and were small and shrubby.

[karelian]

Lots of information about the mining that was carried out on the Matrix Reef and the history of the Berlin Goldfields available online. Hope this has been of some interest. Just a small part of the rich mining history and the areas available to us for detecting as recreational prospectors in the state of Victoria, Australia. All the best.

[jrbeatty]

Ah Mcintyre! From the top of that hill where the Matrix reef is located you are overlooking one of the world's great nugget fields.

Found much good gold in that area, biggest being 30 oz. The shallow ground around the reef yielded plenty to the early vlf detector operators.

[karelian]

I'm going to spend a bit on time exploring the hillside, gullies are a bit deep but lots of shallow ground to explore. Love that the area still offers a lot of potential. I'd love three grams.... never mind 30 ounces. Dream big..

[jrbeatty]

40 minutes ago, karelian said:

I'm going to spend a bit on time exploring the hillside, gullies are a bit deep but lots of shallow ground to explore. Love that the area still offers a lot of potential. I'd love three grams.... never mind 30 ounces. Dream big..

The shallows below the reef are a good spot for SDC's and QED's (or any detector with a small coil)

Interesting geology there. The emplacement of the Tarnagulla granodiorite pluton to the east (as well as the surrounding Moliagul and Kooyoora Plutons) caused gold rich quartz fracture veins (reefs) to form in the Ordovician sediments as they slowly thrust through them. The Mcintyre Range is a hardened contact metamorphic edge to the Tarnagulla pluton (as is Rheola hill to the north)

During the early Tertiary, heavy continuous rainfall eroded both the plutons and rich contact zones, depositing large nuggets in paleovalleys (leads) radiating off them. Possum Hill lead and Guys Rush lead are two examples, as are Caters, White and Humbug hills  to the north. The Berlin goldfield north of Rheola is also the remnant of an even larger paleovalley that has now completely eroded away, leaving only giant nuggets sitting on a granite bottom!

[karelian]

Google Earth images of Possum Hill goldfields, public road goes through parts so I made sure to swing by and walk over the ground on the roadside. Possom Hill goldfield is mostly on private property, I made darn sure I stayed on the right side of the fence and fully respected landholders rights. There is a wealth of land available to legally prospect, all within a few minutes drive of each other in this part of Victoria. Always a learning process.. Very informative jrbeatty thanks.

[jrbeatty]

Karelian: 

It's sad to see the white mullock heaps nearly all pushed. Only a few years back that area was just as the old Diggers had left it -  😞