Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 568
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NORTHERN GOLD FIELDS IN NEW SOUTH WALES [ indecipherable heading]
"The northern gold district at present as embracing 1st the gold fields along the Peel river, the Macdonald or Mulurundi [Murrurundi?] and other sources of the Namoi river, 2nd along the sources of the Gwyder [Gwydir] or the Rocky river and BIngera [Bingara] creek, both being tributaries of that river. In this district there [is?] an area of about 5000 square miles in which gold has been found distributed in a great variety of places and in which it is prolific at the head of the Peel, on the Uralla, and for fifteen miles along the Bingera [Bingara] and neighbouring creeks, these waters, their dividing ranges and the strike of the auriferous region lies along the 151 meridian and between the parallels of 32 & 29 degrees south.
The gold of the Uralla is found over and in the detritus of hornblendic granite, that of the Hanging rock & Peel, as well as that of Bingera [Bingara] is associated with the transmuted members of the base of the upper, or the top of the middle Palaeozic [Palaeozoic] Groups with which serpentine charged with chroma of iron, is in close connection & which have been doubtless, affected by diorite or Greenstone.
Besides these fields which are worked, there is a district more northerly than they, along the 152nd meridian & between the parallels of 30 & 29 degrees south & which is watered by the north flowing heads of the north branch of the Clarence river, but which has not yet been wrought except experimentally owing to the abundance of water. This district comprises the country about [?] Mount Mitchell and the Rocky river, and the gold is found in association with granite, of the same character as that which constitutes the principal formation of the other Rocky river or Uralla near Armadale. From 1000 to 1200 square miles of this district may be considered as exhibiting the presence of gold
associated as in other granite regions with Garnets Saphires [sapphires] , & Tin ore. This field is on the east side of the Coast range".
The distance from Sydney to the gold mines at Hanging rock is 250 miles to there, at Rocky river (the Uralla) 337 miles to those at Dundee, 420 miles and to the Bingera field 374 miles.
DEPOSITS OF GOLD IN THE COLONY OF VICTORIA.
In the colony of Victoria the deposits of gold found on the great Cordillera are of the same description and are found in similar soils to those
found in the continuation of the same great range
in New South Wales. In the low country of Victoria which is situated to the northward of this range is the basin in which the greater proportion of the Monster Nuggets have been discovered, in
the undulating ranges far from the mountains they are found deported, or resting on the bed rock in the gullies and flats. Not only the largest Nuggets, but by far the greatest quantity of gold found in Victoria has been taken out of creeks, gullies, & flats. It is also a fact of no little importance that all the heaviest gold has come from the upper gullies, or those nearest the dividing range. It is also worthy of note that the upper parts of every gully, have yielded the heaviest gold and the largest yet found. The lay of the country from the upper gullies is much noticed by observant gold diggers in order to form an opinion where the deposits of gold may most likely be found.