How about we call a 2kg nugget “Unbelievable Surprise”?
A retiree from the Victorian era has struck it rich by discovering a 2-kilogram nugget, valued at around $130,000, on the outskirts of Ballarat, a historical gold rush town. While exploring old pastureland at a secret location, the amateur prospector’s metal detector signaled that there was something buried beneath the surface. After initially finding a .22 lead bullet, he almost moved on but the detector continued to signal that there was more to be uncovered. After some digging, he found the impressive gold nugget, now known as You Wouldn’t Believe It, buried under layers of wash and clay. The prospector, who wishes to remain anonymous, has received offers exceeding $160,000 for his find and has been overwhelmed by the experience. The largest nugget found by customers of Mark Day, an expert in the gold trade for 25 years, this discovery is exceptional and follows a 42-gram nugget found earlier in the year by the same prospector.
The prospector is overjoyed by his discovery but has chosen to keep his identity and the location where he found the gold nugget a secret. When he contacted retired Mr. Day to share the news, Mr. Day was astonished by the size of the find. Former Ballarat president of the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria, Brian Robillard, emphasizes the importance of patience in prospecting, warning that finding a two-kilogram nugget is rare. Despite the gold rush revival in regional Victoria and the significant amount of gold remaining underground, Mark Day remains cautious but hopeful, citing historical big finds in the area as a reason to keep searching for gold. With gold production on the rise in Victoria and mines like Fosterville and Stawell Gold Mine making significant finds, the excitement over prospecting for gold continues to grow.
Fosterville mine has been operational since 2005, with a shift to producing higher-grade gold in 2015. The mine, located in Central Victoria, is expected to yield between 16.1 and 17.2 tonnes of gold annually for the next three years. Despite this, there are still surface-based prospectors looking for gold in the region. Peter McCarthy, a former mining engineer involved in reopening the Castlemaine Goldfields mine in Ballarat, mentioned that a retiree finding a two-kilo gold nugget was not surprising to him. He believes there is more gold waiting to be discovered, although the number of people searching for it has increased recently. According to Mr. McCarthy, the Victorian Government’s research suggests that a significant amount of gold remains hidden at depth, as the old-timers were unable to access it due to layers of clay, sand, and gravel covering the deposits.
After retiring from his engineering career in the mining industry, Peter McCarthy is convinced that there is still a significant amount of gold waiting to be discovered in the rural areas of Victoria.
Back in the 1850s, a rush of people from Australia and countries like the UK, US, and China descended upon regional Victoria, eager to strike it rich by scouring the goldfields. During this time, The Welcome Stranger, the world’s largest known nugget weighing 65.3kg, was found at Moliagul in 1869. Another significant discovery was the Hand of Faith, a 24.6kg nugget uncovered in Kingower back in 1980.
Recently, there have been fresh discoveries of gold nuggets, including one found by a young girl near Bendigo valued at $30,000 and another weighing 1.4kg near Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia.
One prospector based in Ballarat, known for his discovery “You Wouldn’t Believe It,” has invested in a new metal detector and is excitedly exploring his secret spot once more. According to McCarthy, this prospector firmly believes there is more gold to be found, and recent discoveries seem to support his conviction. Who’s to say he’s wrong?
