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Goldfields Getaway

25 May, 2021

Gold advice

As the owner/operator of Coiltek – the go-to place for prospectors – Andrew Gladdis has seen a few changes in the Goldfields in the past 30 years. Andrew’s father was a keen prospector, and after a stint working as a mechanical engineer at...


Andrew Gladdis giving gold advice
Andrew Gladdis giving gold advice

As the owner/operator of Coiltek – the go-to place for prospectors – Andrew Gladdis has seen a few changes in the Goldfields in the past 30 years. Andrew’s father was a keen prospector, and after a stint working as a mechanical engineer at Minelab, opened the Coiltek Gold Centre in Maryborough.

“I got my first detector when I was about 13 years old,” Andrew said.

“The first detectors that came out in the late 70s were from America where their mineralisation is a lot less than ours, so they don’t work as well in our goldfields.

“The technology was more like your basic coin detector the kids get now for the beach.”

As Andrew explains, the late 70s and early 80s saw something of a boom in prospecting as new detectors came onto the market. Advances in technology meant prospectors were able to detect down to a few feet underground.

“When the new detectors came on the market in the ’90s they were priced at about $3,500, which was big money back then.

“They were forecast to sell about 50 units in the first few months – the first month they had back orders of about 1000.”

As well as selling all things related to gold hunting, Coiltek offers training courses to would-be prospectors.

“We take groups out and show them how to use their machines and what to look for when searching for gold. A lot of it is about fine tuning the detector and understanding what to listen for.”

The popularity of TV shows such as Aussie Gold Hunters, coupled with advanced technology and user-friendly detectors, has led to an influx of tourists hoping to find their fortune in the gold the old diggers left behind.

“In the past 10 years or so I’ve noticed a change in the people coming here looking for gold,” Andrew said.

“It used to be a lot of retired or semi-retired men. Now we have young couples and a lot more women keen to learn how to detect.”

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