19-05-2025
Prospector makes 'ripper' 90-year-old discovery in thick Aussie bush
Tiny clues in the Australian bush have led a seasoned prospector to a massive haul of old relics buried in the dirt. The first sign European settlers had visited the area was a broken piece of porcelain lying in the dirt, but it was the bluestone slab that made it clear Angus James had found something bigger — the ruins of an old house.
Stone like that wasn't natural to the site, around an hour's drive west of the Victorian gold mining town of Ballarat, meaning someone around a century ago hauled it to the site. When Angus James wiped the dirt away, it was pretty clear it had once formed part of a fireplace.
'It was very thick bushland. I was out in the middle of nowhere,' he told Yahoo News.
'Often, when I come across remnants of old bluestone and bricks, they're signs of houses or mudhuts.'
Related: Aussie prospector reveals secret maps to find fortune
Like Ballarat, the secret area Angus was prospecting in had been a gold mining region. Whenever there's a spot where the diggings have been successful, there are usually signs of a house.
'This time I could also see old bulbs and garden beds as well — European trees are normally a good sign. Old cactus bushes are ones to look out for too, because they used to use aloe vera for cuts and abrasions in the 1800s and early 1900s,' Angus said.
It was around the old bluestone fire pit that Angus discovered a massive cluster of old glass bottles. While there's not much value to any of them, they reveal interesting insights into the lives of everyday people who were never recorded in the history books.
Because there was no garbage collection, garbage was simply piled up and buried.
But it wasn't just bottles he found, also among the haul was half a rusted cap gun. In a video posted to his Gold Coin and Relics Australia social media page, you can hear his excitement as he dusts it off.
'I also found this little ripper. I love finding these. Lots of fun back in the day,' he said.
Angus's next find is a medallion commemorating a 'centenary of Melbourne', dating back to 1935.
'That is an absolute cracker, I actually haven't found one like this before so I'm very happy with this,' he adds, before pointing out details on the coin like a swagman and a ship. These coins can sell from $20 to $1,000, depending on their condition.
'You get a bit of a rush from the history. It's fascinating to think about what life was like back then,' Angus said.
'That coin would have come out just after the [Great] Depression. A coin like that would have been circulated around and put a smile on people's faces.
'I really like trying to build a picture of what it was like back then, why they dropped it, why it was lost, and who had it in their hands.'
🔊 'Iconic' sound mysteriously vanishes from suburbs
Mystery over 'unusual' outbreak plaguing iconic bird
😳 'Stomach-churning' reason behind popular seaside tourist show
But it's not just old relics that lie around old mining settlements. Prospecting machinery is always improving, and modern handheld detectors are able to detect gold that went unnoticed a century ago.
Using his 'extremely sensitive' tools, Angus also discovered 14 small gold nuggets.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
