After an exhaustive 37-year search, Syd Pearson’s luck finally turned when he stumbled upon a massive 4.3kg gold nugget in the Victorian goldfields. The 68-year-old garbage man from Maryborough was over the moon upon the discovery, not realizing the rock’s value of nearly $300,000 at first.
SYD Pearson vividly recalls the moment he stumbled upon a massive gold nugget in the vast gold fields of Victoria. It was last December when the 68-year-old was wandering around a small area behind Dunolly, his metal detector buzzing with excitement. After carefully chipping away at the ground with a pick axe, he felt a solid “clunk” beneath the surface that made his hands tremble with anticipation. As he brushed away the dirt, SYD discovered a whopping 4.3kg gold nugget—one of the largest ever found in Victoria’s historic goldfields. Overwhelmed with joy, the garbage man from Maryborough took a moment to light up a cigarette and make a cup of tea, not even needing to stir it due to his excitement.
After placing the stone in his toolbox, he quickly drove home to share the exciting news with his wife. He lovingly named the stone Lady Catherine in honor of her. This special stone has become a legendary part of Victoria’s history, adding to the colorful narrative of the state’s modern-day gold rush.
Located amidst Avoca, Castlemaine, and Wedderburn, the ‘Golden Triangle’ has attracted numerous passionate prospectors hoping to hit the jackpot.
Approximately 96% of the gold extracted from this region is some of the purest in the world. Prospectors only need to obtain a $22 permit to legally claim any gold they find. The President of the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria, Olly Oleszek, mentioned to the Herald Sun that Mr. Pearson’s nugget was one of two discovered in the past six months. It is one of the largest finds in the last ten years, indicating that even bigger rocks are still waiting to be unearthed.
After years of digging for gold nuggets, Mr. Pearson and his partner Jason have no plans of stopping anytime soon. To them, it’s all about the thrill of the hunt, always chasing after the next big find. Recently, they sold their ship, Lady Catherine, to a buyer in the US, but not before keeping two replicas as mementos, with one now on display at the Melbourne Museum.
Mr. Pearson’s persistence paid off when he stumbled upon a 2-kilogram nugget worth $140,000 in Central Victoria, a moment he’ll never forget. Meanwhile, miners in Western Australia struck gold, uncovering over $10,000,000 worth of the precious metal in just a few days. The boys exploring new ground in the outback also hit the jackpot, discovering big gold nuggets that made all their hard work worthwhile.
