Central Queensland gemfields

These 5 areas encompass mainly deeper wash of more commercial interest, and some parts have been extensively mined. However, patches of ground suitable for shallow hand excavation occur in places.

Access

The sealed road from the Capricorn Highway at Anakie leading to Sapphire and Rubyvale townships passes through Sapphire and Scrub Lead to Rubyvale.

Divide is 4km west of Rubyvale on the partly unsealed Goanna Flat Road.

Reward is reached from Rubyvale by heading south-west along the unsealed Keilambete Road for 1km to the signposted Reward road on the left, then for another 4.3 km to the entrance of Reward on its eastern boundary (Sign 52). The track leads west through the Reward diggings, to eventually rejoin Keilambete Road. At a further 1km on this road (Sign 54) a second track leads to the south to cross Retreat Creek before heading west to the Washpool diggings.

Alternatively, for Washpool stay on the Keilambete Road from Rubyvale.

Other tracks leading from Sapphire township to the south-east may require 4WD vehicles.

Map

• Sapphire, Scrub Lead, Divide, Rubyvale and Reward fossicking land map (PDF, 695.3 KB)

Facilities

Provisions, fuel, accommodation, caravan/camping parks and other tourist facilities are available in Sapphire and Rubyvale. Drinking water is available from the Sapphire water facility.

There are no facilities at Reward except for a solar telephone and water needs to be carried from the public supply at Sapphire. Reward is relatively remote and visitors must be self-sufficient. Holes in Retreat Creek near the Washpool track crossing may contain water suitable for washing gravel.

Camping is allowed for a maximum period of 3 months on any one area, except within 1.5km of the Sapphire and Rubyvale post offices. Camping permits can be obtained from our regional offices or fossicking licence agents.

Fossicking notes

Sapphire

A diagonal strip of wash extends across the area from south-west to north-east. Shallow surface wash is best developed from the town towards the northern boundary. It is a red clayey gravel, with fragments of metamorphics and rare billy in a red-orange-brown sandy clay. It has produced large quantities of fine blue stones, although greens and yellows are not uncommon. Much of the area has been extensively mined by old machine operations and small-scale workings. Although many claims have been abandoned, the area is still extensively held under mining claims and there are numerous residential tenures, limiting opportunities for fossickers.

Scrub Lead

The main wash here occurs in an arc around the eastern side of the area trending towards Rubyvale town. It consists of a gravelly sand at the base of friable to semi-consolidated sand and varies in depth from 3m to more than 12m. It has been extensively worked by machine mining, and has yielded some of the best stones, especially blues, of the fields. There are few places to fossick because of the extent of the disturbed ground and excavations, the depth of the wash and current mining tenures.

Rubyvale

Wash extends north-west, west and south-west from Rubyvale. However, much of the ground is deep, and shallower material has been extensively worked. Near the town, the wash averages 2m in depth but may be up to 8m; it consists of boulders of billy and schist in a clayey matrix. South-west of the town a black soil wash, up to 5m thick, contains good sapphires.

At Bedford Hill and Normans Hill, the depth to the sapphire zone is variable and can exceed 20m, but it has been worked extensively by shafts. The wash, composed of fragments of billy and metamorphics in a sandy clay matrix, is overlain by sand and clay and rests on a granite basement. The sapphires are found in narrow runs on the basement. Good quality sapphires have been recovered.

There appear to be few opportunities for fossickers because of the depth of the wash and extensive mining tenures. However, some miners do not object to their dumps being scavenged if requested. Some underground tourist mines are open to the public in this area.

Divide

This area encompasses a large area of wash south of Policemans Creek known as the Divide and the old mining area of Goanna Flat.

Secondary wash occurs on the western side of the Divide, and varies from surface material to strata up to 6m thick; it is usually 2–3m. The sapphires occur at the base of this wash, among cobbles and pebbles of weathered basalt and silcrete in a granular to clayey matrix.

Similar wash, 3–10m deep, is found in the Goanna Flat area. Good sapphires have been recovered from this area, with small stones subordinate. Corundum is common.

The best area for shallow ground for fossickers is on the western side of the ridge west from Divide.

Reward

Wash around the Reward diggings in the eastern part of the area is relatively deep and generally unsuitable for fossickers, although there may be some shallower material between there and the main road to the north-west.

The most popular area for fossickers is the Washpool digging near the western boundary, where the wash is shallow.

Special conditions

Fossicking and camping are not permitted on the numerous mining leases and claims in these areas without the permission of the holders. Details of these tenures can be obtained from the local mining registrar.