THIS week I continue the story of Bernhardt Otto Holtermann and “the world’s largest nugget”, as many newspapers claimed (this is not quite correct, as it was a single mass of gold, not a nugget of gold). It was found at 2am on Saturday, October 19, 1872 and weighed 3000 ounces. The “Beyers and Holtermann Specimen” was the largest to that time.
The Star of Hope Gold Mining Company Limited was formed in mid-February 1872 with capital of £72,000 and was listed on the Stock Exchange in Sydney.
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Both the men were major shareholders, with one-third ownership between them. Holtermann decided to keep an eye on things, being appointed as the surface mine manager. The two men believed their Star of Hope mine would be sure to bring in a profit.
A report was dispatched on October 21 by the Hill End correspondent and printed in The Sydney Morning Herald on October 25, 1872.
“On Friday night last, the largest and richest specimen this colony has produced, I suppose, was taken from the claim of Beyers and Holtermann,” the report said.
“It is really a wonderful one – A SLAB OF GOLD. ITS WEIGHT IS ABOUT 6½ CWT. and I believe I am within the mark in saying that THERE ARE 2 CWT. OF GOLD IN IT. I went, together with nearly the whole town, to look at it. The claim was like a fair, and a regular stream of people threaded the steep packing tracks leading down to it.
“On Sunday it was hung up for exhibition, and during the day hundreds, including many of the fair sex, went down to see it. At the same time that I went to look at this, Mr. Bullock, the manager, kindly revealed the treasures of the iron box, in which are specimens not so large certainly, but prettier to look upon.
“The monster is not alone in his glory, he (the mass of gold) has fellows bigger and richer below, I am told. He appears to form part of a lode rather than a vein, as no quartz seems to be showing - nothing but mundic (pyrite or iron pyrites) and a slate casing.
“Shortly before he was unearthed the township was startled by a severe shock of an earthquake, which is jokingly said to have thrust him up from below. The earthquake commenced a few minutes before 7, and lasted over a minute, perhaps two. Its direction seemed to be from N.W. to S.W. Sitting at tea at the time, the first indication of it was a sound as of a heavy waggon passing by. The sound intensified into a shaking. Each looked at the other.
“The old chimney began to rattle. Someone mentioned the word earthquake, a panic resulted, and a general rush was made to the door, regardless of overturned chairs and tables.… Being curious to know what sensation was produced under ground, I questioned various men, and found that in every instance it was put down to something other than an earthquake.
“The most general opinion in each claim seems to have been that they were running a still in the adjoining claim.”
Later in the report he wrote: “Beyers and Holtermann are crushing at Pullen’s. I do not know whether it is decided to put the big specimens through or not.”
Another report stated: “Our Hill End correspondent informs us, by telegram, that most of the good stuff from Beyers and Holtermann’s claim has been crushed and over 5 cwt. of amalgam obtained. The monster nugget not yet crushed.”
By the following Tuesday morning, large purchases of Beyers and Holtermann’s shares were being made on the share market, causing them to advance another shilling, closing at 56 shillings.
The gold find was photographed and it was measured in detail before being put on display. Imagine the excitement again when another lump of gold, even heavier than the previous one, the latter estimated at 7 cwt., was found.
The miners broke it up to bring it to the surface.
