Gold Nuggets have been found in the Rheola region since the second half of the 19th centurey
Named gold nuggets include:
Viscount Canterbury was found on the 31st May and Viscountess Canterbury found on the 3rd October of 1870 (some locations list 1871 and 1869 as the year). Both were discovered in John's paddock. National Library of Australia has picture of Viscountess Canterbury http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4654765 and the Viscount Canterbury http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn4654766
Precious found on 5th January 1871. Disovered in Catto's paddock at ta depth of 12 feet. Named after 'Precious C Williams' who first owned the land the nugget was discovered on. Picture of model of the Preciouse at the Powerhouse Museum http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=133
Kum Tow (sometimes called Kum Fow and Rum Ton) discovered by Loo Ching and party 12.5 feet below the surface in Catto's paddock, April 17th 1871. Museum Victoria picture of a plaster replica http://museumvictoria.com.au/learning-federation/gold-nugget-replicas/gold-nuggets9/
The Needful found on May 10th 1871. Discovered in Catto's paddock, 12 feet below surface. National Library of Australia picture http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn4654768
The Crescent found on 2nd April 1872. Discovered 2 feet below the surface. Picture of model of the Cresent nugget at the Powerhouse Museum http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=364353
The McEvoy (or McEnvoy) found in 1857/1858 by Nicholas McAvoy and Walter Palmer
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/44541/KorongRegion.pdf
Unnamed Nuggets:
On November nth 1970, at Mclntyre diggings, only a few inches from the surface, weighing 452 oz
on 12th March 1869, a nugget weighing 893 oz. was found by Patrick and James Hoare. At a depth of 20 feet on Langham Flat.
On May 8th 1872 a nugget weighing 477 oz. was got in the same locality as the Crescent, at a depth of 9 feet.
Rheola is part of the golden triangle
1894, Mr William Gunn found a 16lb gold nugget in 'Uncle Tom's Gully'. Sold on the 26th of July to the Bank of New South Wales for the price of £4 2s per ounce. Mr Gunn had been prospecting in the area for 24 years.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88931967
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9329248
http://www.golderandwiser.com/?q=node/16
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/7256966
Finding the Viscount Canterbury
Hand painted coloured photograph. State Library of New South Wales
http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au//item/itemLarge.aspx?itemID=861126
http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemLarge.aspx?itemID=861770
http://followingfadedfootprints.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/solomon-schlossman-hawker-miner.html
The Argus, Saturday 16th August 1913
List the top 22 gold nuggets Victoria, with Rheola apearing 5 times
Precious, 1871
Viscount Canterbury, 1870
Viscountess Canterbury, 1870
Heron, No Date
Kum Tow 1871
Rheola 150 Gold
Unveiled on 17. 10. 2001
To mark the 150th anniversary of the first gold find in Victoria.
In this Rheola (formerly Berlin) District twenty alluvial gold
nuggets exceeding 450 ounces were unearthed.
This was one third of all the nuggets
larger then this size officially recorded in Victoria
They include:
| Name | Weight | Year Found |
|
The Precious Viscount Canterbury Viscountess Canterbury The McEvoy The Kum Tow |
1621 ozs 1114 ozs 912 ozs 810 ozs 796 ozs |
1871 1870 1870 1857 1871 |
Prospecting
http://www.energyandresources.vic.gov.au/earth-resources/recreational-prospecting-and-fossicking
Historial information, facts, notes and dates for the rheola.com website has come from the book "History of Rheola" complied by Ronald Leslie Carless, published by Back To Rheola Committee