Gold by State

New South Wales

• 1823: New South Wales had the first sighting of gold in Australia when government surveyor James McBrian found specks of gold in the Fish River near Bathurst. News of his discovery is suppressed by the government.
• 1851: Edward Hargraves announces gold discovery in Bathurst. The first major gold rush begins in New South Wales.
• 1851-52: Hargraves establishes major goldfield at Bathurst called `Ophir'.
• 1858: 40 kilogram nugget found at Burradong, near Orange.
• 1860: 12.5 kilogram (400 ounce) nugget found near Kiandra in the Snowy River in New South Wales.
• 1872: World's largest piece of gold-bearing material found at Hill End, New South Wales.

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Victoria

• 1851: Gold discovered near Bendigo.
• 1851-52: Rich gold deposits found at Ballarat.
• 1858: Welcome nugget discovered at Bakery Hill at Ballarat.
• 1869: Welcome Stranger nugget found by Deason and Oats at Moliagul.

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South Australia

• 1846: First gold found near Castanbul.
• 1849: Gold deposits located near South Para River.
• 1851: State government offers reward for establishment of productive goldfield in South Australia, but nothing significant found.
• 1852: First payable gold found at Echunga.
• 1884: Gold obtained by Henry Brown at Cutaway Hill near Copley.

Queensland

• 1867: Large gold deposits discovered at Gympie.
• 1867: Curtis nugget (28 kilograms or 906 ounces) and another of 25 kilograms (804 ounces) were found during early mining at Gympie.
• 1870: Gold deposits found on the Palmer River in Far North Queensland and at Charters Towers.

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Western Australia

• 1862: Western Australian government offers £5000 to anyone finding payable gold within 150 miles of Perth.
• 1885: Jack Slattery and Charles Hall make first major gold discovery at Halls Creek in the Kimberley region.
• 1887: Prospector Mick Burke finds gold near Cue. Starts major West Australian gold rush.
• 1890: Little Hero nugget discovered at Pilbara goldfield.
• 1892: Bayley and Ford discover major gold deposits at Coolgardie.
• 1893: Hannan's discovery at Kalgoorlie, Australia's most important early goldfield.
• 1894: Two large nuggets, of 25 and 26.4 kilograms (800 and 850 ounces) found at Coolgardie and Londonderry.
• 1899: Perth Mint opened to profit from rich Kalgoorlie goldfield.

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Northern Territory

• 1875: Early significant discoveries made at Pine Creek.
• 1928: Gold-bearing rocks found at Tennant Creek by telegraph linesman Charles Windley.
• 1934: Gold rush starts in Tennant Creek. This area remains one of Australia's richest gold-producing regions.