The beach placer deposit is located on the north part of Shuttle Island in Darwin Sound. Gold nuggets up to $15 in value were discovered in 1918 by employees of a timber company in the gravel on the beach. The beach was subsequently staked as the Ticksey placer claim.

In 1919 owner J. Hendricks hauled beach gravel by boat to a small creek about 0.8 kilometre away for washing. About 1679 grams of gold recovered from this operation were sent to the Dominion Government Assay Office, in Vancouver, the owner keeping an additional estimated $300-$400 worth of nuggets. In 1921 a pump was installed to supply water for sluicing and about 186 grams gold were recovered during 1922. Another sluicing operation began in December 1933 373 grams of gold were recovered.

Gold occurs in beach gravels derived from erosion of small gold-bearing quartz veins in volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group, Karmutsen Formation (refer to Ellen - 103B 012).

Recorded production from the beach placer deposit of Shuttle Island during the years 1919, 1922 and 1933 totals 2468 grams of gold (National Mineral Inventory Card 103B12 Au2).