An amateur prospector spent several days swinging a metal detector across the red dirt of Mount Stuart Station near Tibooburra, New South Wales, before a faint signal stopped him in his tracks. What he uncovered was a quartz-flecked gold nugget weighing 1,218 grams, with testing showing about 940 grams of pure gold, worth roughly A$150,000 to A$160,000 at spot prices and potentially up to A$200,000 to a collector. The lucky finder, who wishes to remain anonymous, has nicknamed the discovery the Tibooburra Spud, as per reports by ABC News, 1 News, and Perth Now.The find is remarkable not just for its size, but for how close it came to being missed. The prospector told ABC News that the signal was not loud for the size of the piece, and that he had nearly walked past it before deciding to dig. Read more about this fascinating discovery here:
A faint signal in the red dirt
The prospector had been fossicking for years and was used to coming up empty. He told ABC News that most of what he digs up is rubbish, including lead bullets, old-timer’s nails and horseshoes. In mid-October, while finishing up a day of searching, his Gold Monster 2000 detector picked up a signal. He said it was not loud for the size of the piece, but once he got down to about 100 millimetres, the machine began squealing. After a few scrapes of dirt, he spotted a bright yellow dot in the centre of the hole. Footage of the discovery shows the prospector laughing in disbelief as he brushes dirt away from the nugget, which he initially worried might be a painted rock.
What the nugget is worth
The nugget weighs 1,218 grams, with testing showing about 940 grams is pure gold. At spot prices, ABC News estimates its value between A$150,000 and A$160,000.The prospector believes a collector could pay as much as A$200,000 for the specimen, given its size and character. PerthNow reported the same range, noting that the nugget’s rough, irregular shape and quartz flecks add to its appeal.The find is rare enough that Greg Spangler, who has sold prospecting supplies in Broken Hill for more than 20 years, said he has only seen one other person find a nugget heavier than a kilogram. Most finds are gold flakes or small nuggets weighing a few ounces.
Why Tibooburra draws prospectors
Gold prospecting around Tibooburra dates back to the late 1880s and remains a major drawcard for tourists. The remote town sits in far western New South Wales, close to the Queensland and South Australian borders.Fossicking on the Tibooburra Common, the land surrounding the township, is currently banned while Native Title permissions are being pursued. However, at least two stations in the region, Mount Stuart and Gumvale, allow fossicking for a fee.Spangler said the hobby could keep going forever, because every time it rains, people find gold where they did not before. He also noted that rising gold prices have drawn more people to prospecting, with prices peaking in January at almost A$8,000 per troy ounce before settling around A$5,700.
A hobby with more than money
Beyond the chance of an instant boost to a retirement fund, Spangler said prospecting offers other benefits. He described the experience of getting up in the morning, being the first to see the sunrise, and enjoying the peace and quiet of the outback.He also sees it as a pastime the whole family can be involved in. For the prospector who found the Tibooburra Spud, the reward was both financial and personal, a moment of pure excitement after years of digging through dirt and metal scraps.His advice to would-be fossickers is simple: keep walking, keep swinging and keep digging every target. For him, that persistence is what turned a faint signal in the red dirt into a discovery worth more than most people earn in a year.
