New Zealand Gold
Gold has featured significantly in New Zealand’s economic and cultural history since its first
official discovery in 1852. Several gold rushes followed, mainly in the 1860s that encouraged
European and Chinese migration to New Zealand and a boost to the growing economy. New
Zealand’s total gold production to date is about 30 million oz, and current annual production is
some 400,000 oz, from hard rock gold mines at Waihi (Martha and Favona), Reefton (Globe-
Progress) and Macraes, and several small and medium sized placer mines.
Past and present gold production has been from three main deposit types: orogenic quartz lodes
in Paleozoic metagreywacke and Mesozoic schist, epithermal quartz lodes in Cenozoic volcanic
rocks, and placers in Cenozoic gravel and sand. In addition, several other styles of gold
mineralisation are represented with intrusion-related gold deposits also being actively explored
at present.