Pan for gold at the Australian Gold Panning Championships

Rhiannon Binks pans for gold at 2024 Australian Gold Panning Championship. (Supplied)

Brush up on your panning skills, the Australian Gold Panning Championship is back in Blackwood on Saturday, March 1, at the Blackwood Cricket Ground.

Victorian Gold Panning Association president Marcus Binks said all are welcome at the event, whether you are a rookie or a master at the art of gold-panning.

“The way the championships work is we have a series of heat,” he said.

“There’s 20 people in that heat that get the same amount of gold, but they don’t know how many pieces.”

Between five to 10 flakes of gold will be in each competitor’s bucket. They are given a small bottle to put the gold they have panned, and the person who pans all the gold the fastest wins.

About 80 to 100 competitors join the championships every year, with at least eight categories ranging from solo competitions, under-16s, veterans 65-plus, to team competitions.

“Gold in Blackwood dates back to 1858, I think that’s when gold was first discovered in Blackwood,” Mr Binks said.

“The Lerderderg River contained gold.

“There is also a Golden Point in Blackwood, which is appropriately named for what they are.”

Mr Binks said the Australian Gold Panning Championship is a glimpse of the history of the town, and encouraged everyone to join in on the fun.

Faith Macale