Club Meetings and Field Trips
The Club holds regular, monthly meetings to discuss recent developments and hear a presentation on a topic of geological interest, either from one of our members or a visiting speaker. Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of each month and take place in the Library, Queen Street, Richmond.
Field excursions are usually held on the following Sunday. A car pool operates, starting at Warring Carpark, Richmond.
For information on past field trips and to see geologists at work, click here.
Field excursions are usually held on the following Sunday. A car pool operates, starting at Warring Carpark, Richmond.
For information on past field trips and to see geologists at work, click here.
Next Club Meeting |
Field Trip |
|
Thursday February 16th Club Meeting Aorere Gold Dr Mike Johnston ONZM introduces his new book on the gold of NW Nelson Following the discovery of coal, limestone and copper soon after the arrival of New Zealand Company settlers in 1841, Nelson was recognised nationally as this country's mineral province. It was believed that these minerals would compensate the settlement for its very limited areas of arable land. Although traces of gold were found in Golden Bay as early as 1843 it was not until a decade later (following the Californian and Victorian gold rushes) that a greater understanding of Nelson's geology led to an expectation that a goldfield would be unearthed. In 1857 gold in payable amounts was found in the Aorere valley resulting in New Zealand’s first major rush. At the peak of the rush about 1,500 men were digging for gold but this soon declined to several hundred dedicated miners. The rush hastened legislation that regulated mining in this country and the resulting gold accelerated New Zealand's economic development. With its diverse geology the Aorere gold occurs in several very different rock formations. Richmond Library, 19.30 All Welcome Gold coin entry |
Sunday February 19th Fossick and Picnic Starting at Lee Valley Reserve (just beyond Paretai Lodge) at 11.30 with an hour's fossicking and rock identification on the river bar and continuing with a Picnic and BBQ at Mead Stream Reserve (ca 1 km upstream, across river bridge) at 12.30 onwards Bring your own food and drink! Members and guests only |