If you’re wondering how and where to buy gold in Australia, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
For thousands of years, gold has shaped human history. Wars have been fought and empires toppled over the precious yellow metal.
And while no one is waging war over the stuff today, gold still holds power in our society. It’s one of the most respected and resilient financial assets you can own.
Why Consider Buying Gold?
Buying gold is a strategic move many investors make to protect and grow their wealth. Here are seven benefits of buying gold:
Gold Hedges Against Inflation
Gold has a long-standing reputation as a hedge. While the Australian dollar loses an average of 3% to 5% of its purchasing power each year due to inflation, gold tends to rise in value.
Historically, it appreciates by around 10% annually. That means while the cash in your wallet depreciates, gold keeps or grows its worth.
Gold Diversifies Your Portfolio
Diversification is one of the most effective strategies in wealth preservation. Gold is a non-correlated asset, meaning its value does not typically move in tandem with stocks, bonds, or property markets.
While it’s not always the case, often when the stock or housing market crashes, gold increases in value, protecting your wealth.
Gold Is a Safe-Haven Asset
During economic uncertainty, financial crises, or geopolitical conflict, investors flee to gold, which means its value often rises when markets fall.
When the ASX 200 plunged nearly 50% during the Global Financial Crisis, gold prices climbed by 31%. Likewise, during the COVID-19 downturn in 2020, gold returned 25%.
Gold Offers High Liquidity
Gold is a highly liquid asset. You can sell it quickly for cash in most parts of the world without significant loss in value. That makes it a dependable resource in emergencies or for large purchases.
Gold Has No Counterparty Risk
Assets like stocks and bonds rely on a counterparty being able to hold up their end of the bargain. There’s always the risk that the company could go bust or the borrower won’t be able to pay back the bond.
Gold has zero counterparty risk. If you hold it, you own it. There is no bank, corporation, or government whose solvency affects its value.
Gold Is a Long-Term Store of Value
Unlike many paper currencies throughout the ages, gold has never lost its store of value.
It’s held its value for thousands of years from ancient Egypt to Medieval Europe to modern day society, and it will likely keep holding that value for thousands of years more.
Gold Has Universal Acceptance
Everybody loves gold. You can take gold anywhere in the world and exchange it for the local currency. You cannot do that with your Australian property or shares.
How And Where To Buy Gold In Australia?
There are two ways you can buy gold in Australia:
There’s direct ownership, meaning you hold physical gold in the form of bars or coins.
And there’s indirect ownership, meaning you gain access to gold price movements through financial instruments like exchange-traded-funds (ETFs), mining stocks, or contracts for difference (CFD’s).
Both approaches have their own advantages. In this next section, we’ll go through each way and discuss the benefits and which method is right for you.
1. Buying Physical Gold
Many investors like buying physical gold because you can hold it, store it, and know it exists regardless of what happens in the world.
Forms of Physical Gold You Can Buy
Investment grade gold usually has a purity between 99.5% and 99.99%.
You can buy gold bars as small as one gram or as large as one kilogram. Smaller bars cost more per gram because of higher production costs while larger bars offer better value if you can afford the upfront investment.
Gold coins include popular options like Australian Kangaroos, American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, and South African Krugerrands. These coins are recognized worldwide and are easy to sell.
Where to Buy Gold in Australia
There are several reliable options for buying physical gold in Australia, including ABC Bullion, the Perth Mint, KJC Bullion, and Guardian Gold.
Many offer showrooms, online ordering, insured delivery, and secure vault storage. These dealers provide certificates of authenticity and clear information about the purity of your gold purchase.
When choosing where to buy gold in Australia, always look for dealers with established reputations, transparent pricing, and secure delivery methods.
Costs of Buying Physical Gold
There’s a few costs to take into consideration when buying physical gold:
The spot price: This is the raw market value of the gold you’re purchasing.
The premium: As a retail buyer, you typically pay more than the spot price to cover the dealer’s costs of refining, minting, distribution, and profit. Coins typically carry higher premiums than bars due to the complexity in design and minting.
Extras: These are extra fees you might pay for the shipping, insurance, and storage of your gold.
Storage And Security
One of the biggest drawbacks of owning physical gold is that you’re responsible for storing it (and we don’t recommend keeping it under your mattress). Here are three safe places you can store it:
Home safe: You can store it in a home safe, but it should be fire rated and anchored. A quality safe costs several hundred to several thousand dollars, and you’ll want to make sure your home insurance policy covers the full value of your gold.
Bank safe-deposit box: A safe-deposit box at a bank removes home risk. Rental fees range from $100 to $400 per year depending on box size. This option provides security but limits your access to banking hours.
Third-party vault: Third-party vaults offer professional security and insurance. Some bullion dealers will provide vault services, so the gold never leaves secure storage until you choose to move or sell it.
How To Sell Physical Gold
Most gold dealers provide buy-back services. They will verify the purity and pay based on the current spot price, minus a small fee. Prices move with global demand, so the amount you receive can change from day to day.
Selling is straightforward when the gold comes from recognized mints or refiners. If you bought from ABC Bullion, The Perth Mint, or another reputable dealer, you can sell back to them with minimal hassle.
Always keep your certificates of authenticity and original packaging. This speeds up the verification process and helps you get the best price.
2. Buying Gold Indirectly In Australia
The second way to buy gold is to get indirect exposure to it. While you will not own a physical bar of gold you can hold in your hands, you can benefit from gold’s price movements without needing to worry about where to store it.
Here is how and where you can buy gold indirectly in Australia.
1. Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
Gold ETFs track the market price of gold. Each unit provides exposure to the underlying metal, often backed by physical holdings. Think of it like purchasing shares in a company that owns and stores gold on your behalf.
Popular gold ETFs in Australia include PMGOLD (Perth Mint Gold ETF) and QAU (BetaShares Gold Bullion ETF).
Gold ETFs are a great option for beginners. They can be easily bought on the stock market through most Australian share trading platforms, and you can often buy as little as one unit, which might represent a fraction of an ounce of gold.
2. Gold Mining Shares
Gold mining companies extract the metal, and their stock prices reflect not just gold’s value but also company performance, production results, costs, and market sentiment.
Their stock prices often move more sharply than gold itself, creating potential for higher returns and higher risk. If gold prices rise 10%, a mining company's share price might rise 20% or 30%. If gold prices fall 10%, the share price might fall 20% or 30%.
Popular Australian gold miners include companies like Newcrest Mining, Northern Star Resources, and Evolution Mining.
Gold mining shares may suit investors who can handle the extra volatility. They also pay dividends in some cases, which physical gold does not.
3. Gold Contracts For Difference (CFDs)
CFDs are available to trade through brokers like mitrade.com and give you exposure to price movement without needing to buy the metal or take ownership in a gold-related stock or ETF.
They allow you to speculate on both sides of the price movement. You can take ‘long’ positions if you expect prices to rise or ‘short’ positions if you expect prices to fall.
CFDs use leverage, so gains and losses can occur quickly. You might control $10,000 worth of gold with $1,000 of capital. If you are ‘long’ on gold and gold prices rise 5%, you gain $500. If gold falls 5%, you lose $500.
CFDs suit investors who understand margin, risk controls, and position sizing.
How To Choose The Right Way To Buy Gold
Your decision depends on your goals, time frame, and tolerance for risk and complexity.
If you want tangible wealth you can hold, physical bars or coins may fit your needs. You will pay premiums and storage costs, but you will own something real.
If you want convenience and liquidity, ETFs or gold mining companies may suit your goals. You can trade them easily and avoid storage hassles.
If you want to trade short-term moves, CFDs may provide the flexibility you want. Traders should monitor risk carefully and avoid excessive leverage.
Your Next Step: Where to Buy Gold in Australia Today
Gold has preserved its value through pandemics, wars, recessions, and regime changes. Whether you’d prefer to have a bar in your safe or exposure through a brokerage, gold can be a great addition to your portfolio.
If you are ready to buy physical gold, start by contacting your local gold dealer. Request a quote, ask about delivery and storage options, and compare their premiums and fees.
If you prefer indirect exposure, open a brokerage account with a platform that offers gold ETFs, mining shares, or Gold CFDs. Research the options available, check the fees involved, and place a small order to get started.
Gold is a fantastic way to protect your wealth.. and the best time to protect your wealth is before it’s too late.
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* The content presented above, whether from a third party or not, is considered as general advice only. This article should not be construed as containing investment advice, investment recommendations, an offer of or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments.
