Gemfest

Last updated on Jul 17, 2021

Gemfest is an annual community event
Gemfest 2021

Gemfest is an annual community event

Gemfest 2021

July 24 (9pam-4pm) and 25 (9am-3pm), with the club celebrating 60 years

24,25 July: Annual Gem Festival Community Event. Market stalls: Dealers, Jewellery. Experts, Food, Raffles. Find Gold. Learn about club and courses

From 9AM, 129 Mulgrave Rd
Friendly market stalls with

Dealers including specimens and supplies. Bruno and Helen with their slabs are back!
Jewellery, crafts
Friendly experts. Ask questions and get guidance
All day food and BBQ
Kids activities (sandpit fossicking)
Grand raffle
Enter detector raffle to experience metal detecting and panning
Peg your claim! One gold nugget prize each day.
Visit club and see how inexpensive courses are run
Off road parking

Minister Michael Healy Opens Gemfest 2021

Michael Healy, the QLD Government Assistant Minister for Tourism Industry Development and QLD Parliament member for Cairns opened Gemfest 2021 at 9am on Saturday 24 July.

Our three minute video shows Minister Michael Healy cutting 60th anniversary cake, acknowledging the club and members as well as mentioning traditional custodians of the land, the Olympics and making a lap (of stalls, not an Olympics track).

Photos From Gemfest

Please see Photos From Gemfest. Members, if you have photos from Gemfest you want included please, email them to the club.

Club Volunteers

Gemfest would not be possible without the help of many members from the club who generously donate their time and skills.

We will be keeping a growing list of Gemfest volunteers up to date.

Stall Holders

There were more than 30 stallholders!

Link to complete list with images

Visitors to the Gem Festival are required to register by QR code with the Check In Qld app or by manual sign-in. Point your phone camera at code to launch app or download app. Register yourself and family or friends at the same time.

Poster below.

Prizes

GRAND RAFFLE

$1 a ticket, draw on Sunday afternoon

General Raffle Prize and Winners. 35 prizes were drawn!

DETECTOR RAFFLE (also experience metal detecting and panning)

$5 a ticket, draw on Sunday at 3pm

Thanks to member Ian Maclean of Night Sky Secrets for asking his supplier of gold detectors for a donation. Ian draws metal detector winning ticket with result announced by Sokar Phillpot.

Ian Maclean and Sokar Phillpot

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First Prize Garrett Australia donated a 200i gold detector for the first prize. Won by Freya Lyne.

Freya Lyne, centre, with prize, with club president Michael Hardcastle and Freya’s father Chris

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Second prize, 1.5 gram gold nugget valued at $120. Donated by club. Won by Mark Rossi. Accepted by Mark’s daughter, Leonie, in photo below

Gold nugget second prize in detector raffle. Won by father of Leonie in picture

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PEG A CLAIM

$2 a numbered peg. Place your peg on a grid. Winning grid coordinates are drawn at 3pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday

On Saturday: gold nugget with sterling silver bail and synthetic ruby gemstone. Valued at $200. Donated by Trevor and Jan Hannam. Won by Elizabeth Peach.

Saturday’s peg a claim prize and winner Elizabeth Peach
On Sunday: gold nugget with sterling silver bail and cubic zirconia gemstone. Valued at $525. Donated by Trevor and Jan Hannam. Won by Axel Bor.

Sunday’s peg a claim prize: The Hand of Fate (named after shape)

GOLD NUGGETS

There are five gold nuggets to be won. Two in the grand raffle as jewellery pieces, two gold nuggets in the ‘Peg A Claim’ as jewellery pieces and one plain nugget in the detector raffle. The first four nuggets are donated by Trevor and Jan Hannam.