An amateur prospector in the Australian outback has unearthed a quartz-flecked gold nugget weighing more than 1,200 grams, a discovery valued between NZ$185,000 and NZ$197,000 at current spot prices, 1News reported. The finder, who wishes to remain anonymous, pulled the heavy specimen from a depth of about 400 millimetres near the remote New South Wales town of Tibooburra after using a metal detector to track down a signal.
Metal detector signal reveals discovery on Mount Stuart station
The prospector spent several days searching the red, rocky dirt on Mount Stuart station before his Gold Monster 2000 metal detector picked up the signal. Although he had spent years fossicking and typically recovered only lead bullets, old horseshoes, and rusty nails, this particular sweep yielded a different result in mid-October. “It wasn’t a loud signal for the size of the piece that it is [but] once I got down to 100 [millimetres] or something like that, the machine was squealing,” the prospector told the ABC. He removed just one or two scrapes of earth before spotting a bright yellow dot in the centre of the hole. Video footage captured the moment he brushed away the dirt, laughed in disbelief, and exclaimed, “Have a f***ing look at that, I can’t believe this.” Testing later confirmed that of the 1,200-plus gram total weight, approximately 940 grams consist of pure gold.
Valuation Differences Across Outlet Reports
Estimates for the value of the specimen vary slightly depending on market conversions and anticipated collector sales. 1News placed the spot price value between NZ$185,000 and NZ$197,000, noting that a direct sale to a collector could push the total to NZ$246,000. Meanwhile, the spot price was evaluated between $150,000 and $160,000, with a planned sale to a collector expected to lift the final payout as high as $200,000. Greg Spangler, a prospecting supplies seller in Broken Hill with more than 20 years in the business, told the ABC that finding a nugget exceeding a kilogram is exceptionally rare. Most recreational fossickers in the region uncover only small flakes or ounces, leaving very few members in what Spangler calls the “Kilo Club.” The finder has officially nicknamed his heavy, irregular find the “Tibooburra Spud.”
Private pastoral leases permit fossicking for a fee
Gold prospecting has drawn tourists to the far western corner of New South Wales since the late 1880s. Current regulations restrict access on the Tibooburra Common—the land surrounding the township—where fossicking is banned while Native Title permissions are pursued, according to the ABC. However, private pastoral leases such as Mount Stuart and Gumvale stations permit fossicking for a fee. Spangler noted that soaring gold prices, which peaked earlier at nearly $8,000 per troy ounce and remain around $5,700, continue to drive more hobbyists into the outback. For those looking to replicate the find, the prospector offered a straightforward rule: keep walking, keep swinging the detector, and dig every target.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Tibooburra Spud
How much pure gold is in the Tibooburra Spud?
Laboratory testing confirmed that the 1,200-gram nugget contains approximately 940 grams of pure gold, with the remainder consisting primarily of quartz.
What equipment did the prospector use to find the nugget?
The anonymous fossicker located the gold using a Gold Monster 2000 metal detector while searching on Mount Stuart station near Tibooburra.
Can anyone go fossicking around Tibooburra?
Fossicking is currently banned on the Tibooburra Common while Native Title permissions are pursued, but at least two regional stations, Mount Stuart and Gumvale, allow public access for a fee.
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