Guide
Where you can legally detect for gold in Victoria
A Miner's Right lets you prospect on a lot of Victoria's public land, but not everywhere. Here's the difference between fair game and off-limits.
Where you can detect (with a current Miner's Right)
- Most State forests, including the large goldfield forests across central Victoria around Wedderburn, Dunolly, Maryborough, Avoca and St Arnaud.
- Crown land that isn't exempted or restricted, and isn't under an active mining or prospecting licence (licensed ground needs the licensee's consent, always check first).
- Designated prospecting areas inside certain parks, Parks Victoria publishes a map for each (see the list below).
- Private land, but only with the landholder's permission.
Designated goldfields parks with prospecting areas
These parks have specific areas where prospecting is allowed. Always download the official Parks Victoria prospecting map for the park before you go, the boundaries matter.
- Heathcote-Graytown National Park (Rushworth / Whroo), the closest goldfields to Kilmore
- Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park (Castlemaine / Chewton / Fryerstown)
- Greater Bendigo National Park & Bendigo Regional Park
- Kooyoora State Park (Kingower / Wedderburn)
- Paddys Ranges State Park (Maryborough)
- Kara Kara National Park (St Arnaud / Avoca)
- Beechworth Historic Park
- Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park
- Warrandyte State Park
- Enfield State Park
- Wychitella Nature Conservation Reserve
- Steiglitz Historic Park, gemstones only, not gold
Where you can't
- National, State and other parks outside their designated prospecting areas.
- Reference Areas (protected under the Reference Areas Act).
- Private land without the owner's consent.
- Heritage and historic/archaeological sites, under the Heritage Act it's an offence to disturb them, and a Miner's Right does not override that.
- Anywhere that would harm Aboriginal cultural heritage, which is protected under the Aboriginal Heritage Act, if you find something, stop and report it.
A note on 2026 park changes
Victoria is creating new parks in the Central West (around Daylesford, Beaufort and Avoca). Some new national and conservation parks will not allow prospecting, while a new regional park is being set aside where it will be allowed. This is a live, changing situation, check the current status on the official pages before relying on it.
Official sources, always check these first
- Parks Victoria, Fossicking & prospecting (park maps)
- Earth Resources Victoria, Recreational prospecting & fossicking
We deliberately don't publish "dig here" spots on protected or heritage ground, use the official park maps, get permission where it's needed, and leave every site better than you found it. This is general information, not legal advice; rules change, so confirm the current details on the official pages above.