The Story of The Big Gold Nugget
You’ll find the Big Gold Nugget outside the historic Grove Hill Heritage Hotel and Museum in Douglas-Daly, Northern Territory.
Australia is one of the few countries in the world where huge gold nuggets have been discovered, dating back as far as the 1860s. The Northern Territory also makes part of this history, with the Big Gold Nugget remaining as a tribute to a time when gold mining was the only business in the region.
History of Gold Mining in the Northern Territory
Numerous deposits of gold were found in several locations in the Northern Territory in the 1860s. It was the first mineral to be discovered in the region, which attracted settlers from the south during the gold rush. As a result, the government recognised gold mining as an opportunity for economic growth for the region and the entire country.
In Grove Hill, Harry Roberts discovered gold during the construction of Overland Telegraph in 1872. At the time, Grove Hill was a siding of the Northern Australia Railway, and it quickly became a prime location for miners camps and a township during the gold rush.
However, things changed at the end of the gold rush era in the 1930s. The town that was once a hive of activities was abandoned. Later, the Grove Hill Hotel was constructed in 1934 near the railway sidings, which consisted of materials collected from the abandoned mining sites.
However, the railway closed operation in 1976, and the Stuart Highway diverted traffic away from the hotel. Grove Hill Hotel continued to operate as a licenced hotel but finally closed down in 2016 after a failed auction sale. Today, the Big Gold Nugget reminisces the good old days of gold mining activities and huge nuggets continually being discovered in nearby locations.
Other mining related big things are:
