The trip to Stuart Town (AKA Iron Bark) allowed me to examine the quartz reef remnants and to sample the gold found in the Macquarie River. Every pan of dirt tested from even the upper surface soil (usually this is unsuccessful if not panning dirt from nearer the bedrock) contained visible gold. Some was very fine, some coarse. Some small gold specimens were found combining gold and quartz and a slightly larger nugget was also dug from one of the small shaft entrances ...which may be a natural nugget or may be the result of smelting on the site in the early days.

The trip was very informative for a number of reasons and I can now move further north to sample areas of the Hargraves Gold Field located further to the North East.