<P> Woods Almanac, 1857, states that gold was possibly found at Fingal (near Mangana) in 1851 by the "Old Major" who steadily worked at a gully for two to three years guarding his secret . This gold find was probably at Mangana and that there is a gully there known as Major's Gully . The first payable alluvial gold deposits were reported in Tasmania in 1852 by James Grant at Managa (then known as The Nook) and Tower Hill Creek which began the Tasmanian gold - rushes . The first registered gold strike was made by Charles Gould at Tullochgoram near Fingal and Managa and weighed 2 lb 6ozs . Further small finds were reported during the same year in the vicinity of Nine Mile Springs (Lefroy). In 1854 gold was found at Mt . Mary . During 1859 the first quartz mine started operations at Fingal . In the same year James Smith found gold at the River Forth, and Mr. Peter Leete at the Calder, a tributary of the Inglis . Gold was discovered in 1869 at Nine Mile Springs (Lefroy) by Samuel Richards . The news of this brought the first big rush to Nine Mile Springs . A township quickly developed beside the present main road from Bell Bay to Bridport, and dozens of miners pegged out claims there and at nearby Back Creek . The first recorded returns from the Mangana goldfields date from 1870; Waterhouse, 1871; Hellyer, Denison, and Brandy Creek, 1872; Lisle, 1878 Gladstone and Cam, 1881; Minnow and River Forth, 1882; Brauxholme and Mount Victoria, 1883; and Mount Lyell, 1886 . </P> <P> Payable gold was found in May 1852 at Echunga in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia by William Chapman and his mates Thomas Hardiman and Henry Hampton . After returning to his father's farm from the Victorian goldfields William Chapman had searched the area around Echunga for gold motivated by his mining experience and the £ 1,000 reward being offered by the South Australian government for the first discoverer of payable gold . Chapman, Hardiman and Hampton were later to receive £ 500 of this reward as the required £ 10,000 of gold had not been raised in two months . Within a few days of the announcement of finding gold 80 gold licenses had been issued . Within seven weeks there were about 600 people, including women and children, camped in tents and wattle - and - daub huts in "Chapman's Gully". A township sprang up in the area as the population grew . Soon there were blacksmiths, butchers and bakers to provide the gold diggers' needs . Within 6 months 684 licences had been issued . Three police constables were appointed to maintain order and to assist the Gold Commissioner . By August 1852 there were less than 100 gold diggers and the police presence was reduced to two troopers . The gold rush was at its peak for nine months . It was estimated in May 1853 that about £ 18,000 worth of gold, more than 113 kg (4,000 oz, 250 lb), had been sold in Adelaide between September 1852 and January 1853, with an additional unknown value sent overseas to England . </P> <P> Despite the sales of gold from Echunga, this goldfield could not compete with the richer fields in Victoria and by 1853 the South Australian goldfields were described as being' pretty deserted' . There were further discoveries of gold in the Echunga area made in 1853, 1854, 1855, and 1858 causing minor rushes . There was a major revival of the Echunga fields in 1868 when Thomas Plane and Henry Saunders found gold at Jupiter Creek . Plane and Saunders were to receive rewards of £ 300 and £ 200 respectively . By September 1868 there were about 1,200 people living at the new diggings and tents and huts were scattered throughout the scrub . A township was established with general stores, butchers and refreshment booths . By the end of 1868 though, the alluvial deposits at Echunga were almost exhausted and the population dwindled to several hundred . During 1869 reef mining was introduced and some small mining companies were established but all had gone into liquidation by 1871 . The Echunga goldfields were South Australia's most productive . By 1900 the estimated gold production was 6,000 kg (13,225 lb), compared with 680g (24oz, 11⁄2lb) from the Victoria Mine at Castambul . After the revival of the Echunga goldfields in 1868, prospectors searched the Adelaide Hills for new goldfields . News of a new discovery would set off another rush . Gold was found at many locations including Balhannah, Forest Range, Birdwood, Para Wirra, Mount Pleasant and Woodside . </P> <Ul> <Li> Amherst / Daisy Hill / Talbot, 1852 (after initial finds in 1848 and 1851) </Li> <Li> Beechworth, 1852 </Li> <Li> Tarnagulla, 1852 </Li> <Li> Wedderburn, 1852 </Li> <Li> Steiglitz, 1853 </Li> <Li> Maldon, 1853 </Li> <Li> Homebush near Avoca, 1853 </Li> <Li> Bright, 1853 </Li> <Li> Stawell, 1853 </Li> <Li> Maryborough, 1854 </Li> <Li> St Arnaud, 1854 </Li> <Li> Caldonia (St Andrews), 1855 </Li> <Li> Ararat, 1856 </Li> <Li> Mansfield, 1855 </Li> <Li> Chiltern, 1858 </Li> <Li> Inglewood, 1859 </Li> <Li> Rutherglen, 1860 </Li> <Li> Stuart Mill, 1861 </Li> <Li> Walhalla, 1863 </Li> <Li> Foster, 1869 </Li> </Ul>

Where was the most gold found in australia