Since World War II, the manufacturing of hand-held metal detectors had been a virtual American monopoly. Names like Garrett, Whites, Fisher and Compass dominated the market both in the US and overseas. While these early machines proved incredibly useful and many millions of dollars of treasure and nuggets were won with them, they did have their limitations. And these limitations were felt no where harder than on the Australian goldfields. Our companions to the south were caught between a rock and a hard place – literally! Their soil conditions were unique, being noisier than almost anywhere on the planet.

Early metal detectors performed well on the North American goldfields where soil conditions were rather mild, but were ill prepared to cope with the extreme mineralization found in Australia. Because of this, many thousands upon thousands of ounces of nuggets were passed over; made invisible by the “ironstone” barrier. They say that necessity is the mother of invention; in the case of Minelab Electronics that old cliché could not prove truer.

So, just how did Minelab begin? From an interview with Mr. Rob Wyly (Minelab’s Managing Director) conducted in October 1986, we can get a sense of the company’s genesis. According to Mr. Wyly, “Minelab began in 1984 when I was involved with Craig Hughes with the intention of developing a better detector for the recovery of nuggets in Australia. Dr. Don McCoy, Senior Lecturer in Physics, at the University of Adelaide, had been working on a similar project. As a result we met Don and soon after we got Bruce Candy from the University involved and from late 1984 to mid-1985 we worked on various prototype detectors.”

The first Minelab devices were sent into the worst possible regions, areas not only heavy in ironstone but areas that had been “thrashed” by other brands of detectors. Immediately the proof was forthcoming. At first scattered reports of small finds near Wedderburn in Victoria, then an ever-increasing number of bigger and better discoveries in other states. Minelab began production of its first detector, the Goldseekers 15000 in 1986, using the name of a previous manufacturer, but totally different technology. Within a few months, inquiries were being received from more than 20 countries. Shortly after, Minelab signed a $2 million agreement with Western Australian entrepreneur Paul Hana for his Koala Marketing Pty. Ltd. to market the detector domestically and overseas. In an extremely short space of time, the small Adelaide-based company had gone from an idea to a manufacturing exporter, employing 54 people.

The Goldseekers 15000 provided a stable platform on which Minelab could build upon. Their later model detectors had, of course, undergone a long series of improvements in both design and performance, but the overwhelming mineralization still presented a serious dilemma. While the “easy” surface gold could be recovered by perseverance, the deeper pieces lurking beneath a blanket of ground noise were still out of grasp. The current VLF technology had simply been strained to its limit. Luckily for us, this was all about to change. 

The key to Minelab’s “giant leap” ahead lay in the challenge to design a detector which would cope with Australian conditions and this meant doing the one thing which others had failed to do - beat the “ironstone” barrier. In late 1995 they unveiled a remarkable new machine that completely revolutionized the gold-prospecting industry. The Super Detector 2000 (or SD as it was commonly called) pulse induction detector made use of multi-period sensing technology and enabled hunters to penetrate to depths previously unknown. It eliminated virtually all the ground noise and troublesome hot rocks that had plagued the earlier VLF machines. Some of the first prospectors to hit the goldfields with the SDs were getting as much as 10-ounces per day! This technology was responsible for triggering a modern day gold rush that continues to this very day. Minelab’s newest addition to their gold-finding line is the GP3000, which boasts improved depth, sensitivity and improved ground canceling abilities.    

Thus far we have discussed the origins of Minelab, some of their products and the impact they have had on the goldfields. Now let us talk for a moment about the man behind the machine; the person responsible for making it all happen, Mr. Bruce Candy. A quiet, soft spoken man of 52, South African born Dr. Candy, is more interested in pursuing his love of the sciences than capturing the international spotlight. When asked why he decided to begin experimenting with metal detectors he commented, “It was really just to prove some mathematics...”

He holds Ph.D.s in physics and applied mathematics, and has taught at universities in England, France, and Australia. Although his reputation as the inventor of the now legendary Minelab SD & GP series metal detectors is the first thing that pops into the minds of most gold seekers; his ingenuity doesn’t stop there. He is also a lifelong audiophile and the father of Halcro; a subsidiary of Minelab Electronics, which specializes in audio amplifiers. From a teenage boy tinkering with old radios in his bedroom to supplying the world's richest celebrities with revolutionary amplifiers, the vibrations of Mr. Candy's work are being heard around the globe.

Dubbed the "Nutty Professor" of the audio industry, Dr. Candy, has turned a boyhood hobby into a one-man business and a multi-million dollar enterprise. His spaceship-looking Halcro dm58 amplifiers, which sell for about $50,000 each, have received outstanding reviews in magazines, won numerous awards and are being used by some of the most famous rock bands, actors and recording studios in the U.S.

"I just came up with the designs while riding my bicycle," Dr. Candy said. "I spend more time thinking than actually working." Dr. Candy said he had started an electronics business by the age of 14. "Every schoolboy wanted to be the Beatles when they were young," he said. "That meant everybody that had guitars needed amplifiers. I was always interested in electronics as a little boy and people gave me radios to play around with in my room. I just ended up designing amplifiers for my friends and with the money I made, I bought hi-fi gear."

Dr. Candy said his interest in audio came from his grandfather who was in charge of the Royal Navy's radio system in World War I. "I work for the love of music: classical music is my favorite. Many people end up in industries just because it's a business. In the audio business it's a bit different in the sense that many people are in it because they're enthusiasts." By the way, if you are wondering where the name Halcro came from it is Bruce’s middle name! 

Aside from gold, coin & relic detectors, and audio amplifiers, Minelab also provides the United Nations and the US military with the mine-locating equipment used in hot spots like Afghanistan. It has been reported by United Nations sources that there are in excess of 110 million anti-personnel mines buried in 38 countries throughout the world. At least 26,000 people are killed or maimed by mines per year. While there have been noticeable achievements in mine clearing, the situation still remains very serious.

A fundamental problem with the detection of land mines is encountered when they are buried in soil conditions of lateritic and other types of high magnetic content. Such conditions tend to saturate conventional metal mine detectors as the soil can produce a response that can mask minimum metal mines (the same phenomenon that masks gold nuggets). Minelab has successfully addressed the problem of mineralized soil conditions by developing patented technology that can ignore the effects of ground noise whilst maintaining maximum sensitivity.

Minelab launched its first metal mine detector, the F1A4, in early 1997 and now it is being used in 28 countries. Because of its’ success, the Australian company has entered into a combined development with CyTerra responsible to the US Department of Defense for the HSTAMIDS (Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System). The HSTAMIDS project will combine state of the art dual sensor (ground penetration radar and metal detection) technology into a hand held mine detector. Minelab is also currently developing a new vehicle array for inclusion in the multi-sensor RRAMNS (Rapid Route and Area Mine Neutralisation System) project. This project, in support of the Australia Department of Defense, will combine ground penetration radar, Minelab metal detection and thermal imagery onto a vehicle platform.

Today Minelab is recognized worldwide as a leader in metal sensing technology. They have manufacturing, distribution and customer service operations in Australia, Europe and the United States, and are an ISO 9001 Quality Endorsed Company. They have won numerous industry awards including: 2000 - Electronics Industry Association Gold Cup for Excellence in Innovation and Commercialization, 2000 - West Torrens Business Award, 1998 - Telstra Australian Small Business of the Year, 1998 – Winner AusIndustry Innovation Prize, 1998 - National Winner IBM Business Owner Award, and the 1996 - Australia Post, Australia Day Council Business Awards.

Minelab remains committed to the future development of metal detection equipment for the hobbyist, military and humanitarian de-mining projects throughout the world. It is their focus on innovation which helped them brake away from the pack in the 20^th Century and it is what will keep them going in the 21^st.

References

Clarke, D. (November 20, 2004). The Advertiser.

Australian Gold, Gem & Treasure Magazine (October 1986). The Minelab Story: Meeting the challenge, (Interview with Mr. Rob Wyly - Minelab’s Managing Director)

The Official Minelab Corporate Website

http://www.corporate.minelab.com

Gold Prospectors Association of America (December 2004). Phone interview with Bruce Candy & National Claims Manger, Ken Rucker.

Primedia Magazines Inc.: From the Archives

http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/683/index1.html 

Crombie, K., Gholson, C., Lauretta, D., and Melchiorre, E. (2002). Rich Hill: The History of Arizona’s Most Amazing Gold District. Phoenix, AZ: Golden Retriever Publications, 242 pp.