The Australian Gold Panning Championships are an annual event with panning categories to cater for a range of ages and skill levels.

The competition is based on heats in which panners are provided with a bucket of gravel that has been seeded with a set number of pieces of gold (quantity of gold is unknown to the competitor).

The time taken for the panner to pan the bucket and gravel and recovery the gold is recorded.

If a panner misses a piece of gold, they receive a 3 min penalty.

Panners with the fastest times advance to a final. +$5,000 worth of prizes with a major prize being a contribution towards flights and accommodation for the 2026 World Championships for the winner of the Mens and Womens skilled categories.

The 2026 World Championships will be in New Zealand and we are endeavouring to support as many Aussies to attend and compete as possible.

The Australian Gold Panning Championships are run by the VGA which is a not for profit organisation.

The competition is held at the Blackwood recreation reserve, just north of Ballan.

Heats start at 9am with finals commencing around 2pm. Registration for entry closes at 11am.

Terry Hodge from Ballan is the current Australian Champion.

For further information see the Victorian Goldpanning Association facebook page.