Lefroy and Back Creek Goldfields Field Trip

Join the AusIMM Tasmania Branch and AIG Tasmania Branch for their: Lefroy and Back Creek Goldfields Field Trip in April.

About this event

In October 2025, Ron Gregory showed two of us around his gold mine at Back Creek. This was a fascinating and eye-opening visit. Ron’s mine provides a rare opportunity to observe exposures where rich primary reef gold is being won from Mathinna Supergroup rocks in one of Tasmania’s most historically significant gold regions. Outcrops like this have not been visible in a northeast goldfield for many years. The mine also reveals the geological relationships between primary reef gold deposits (veins) and their associated alluvial and deep lead deposits. Ron’s neat little operation is also Tassie’s only operating gold mine. The visit inspired this field trip for the AIG / AusIMM. Some additional information has been added about the nearby Lefroy goldfield, based on recent work by Tony to understand the controls on the similar gold reefs there.

The field trip will start at a George Town rendezvous (the Paterson Memorial Monument 1804), will pass through Lefroy and then end up at Ron’s mine at Back Creek – a driving distance of about 25 km ACF. We will stop at several outcrops along the way and at least one of the mine sites in Lefroy (probably the Volunteer, which is easiest to get to). The outcrops are mainly road cuts at Lefroy, and a very nice exposure of deformed Mathinna Supergroup in a cutting across the road from the Piper’s River store.

This will be a rare opportunity for a small group of geos to visit Tasmania’s only operating gold mine and to see some of the geology. However, the geology is NOT spectacular – unless you like generally weathered deformed turbidites that host gold reefs. But there are a couple of nice exposures in road cuts. And it is a relatively short drive. The real icing on the cake will be the mine visit at Back Creek.

There will be notes provided and possibly also a 3D model data set of the field which will be offered as a free give away.

We would aim to bring the makings of a barbeque and some drinks, as a way of ending the trip at Ron’s historic mining camp, which has a history all of its own.

Proposed Itinerary

• Meet at the Paterson Memorial Monument 1804, Esplanade N, George Town TAS at 0900 hrs
  • Brief overview of the history of Georgetown
• Progress in Convoy to Lefroy (c 15km)
  • - Inspect the Volunteer road cutting and geological structure
  • Visit the Volunteer mine site – one of the more productive mines of the field
• Progress by Convoy to the Pipers River Store and the cutting across the road.
  • Pit stop at Pipers River
• Progress by Convoy to the White Lead Mine
  • Mine tour
• Barbeque /sausage sizzle
• Make own way home.

For all enquiries and to RSVP, please contact Tony Webster.

Please note: Registration is limited to 20 people.