New South Wales · Attraction
Ophir Reserve
Australia's first gold rush country
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Ophir Reserve marks the site of Australia's first officially declared gold rush in 1851, when Edward Hargraves panned gold from Summer Hill Creek and sparked a frenzy that would reshape the continent. Located 27 kilometres north-east of Orange along unsealed roads, the historic reserve remains a working fossicking ground where visitors can still try their luck in the same creek gravels.
Gold pans can be hired from the Orange Visitor Information Centre before making the drive out. The creek junction is the main fossicking area, where the shallow pools and gravel bars are worked by hopeful visitors year-round. The reward is rarely riches, but the experience of standing in the same spot as the 1851 rush is genuinely evocative.
Two walking trails thread through remnant diggings, passing the earthworks, shafts, and creek channels left by tens of thousands of diggers in the 1850s. Information boards along the trails explain the mining methods used. Fishing and birdwatching are popular secondary pursuits, and a basic campground at the creek junction allows overnight stays.
The access roads are unsealed and can be rough after rain. There are no facilities on site. A camping permit is required from the Orange Visitor Information Centre; fossicking itself is free.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Ophir Reserve.
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