In 1980, the Hand of Faith Gold Nugget was found by Kevin and Bep Hillier near the township of Wedderburn, Australia. Although the discovery turned the struggling family into overnight millionaires, it is the incredible story of faith that makes this gold nugget so special.
Kevin’s Dream
Twelve days before finding the Hand of Faith, Kevin Hillier had a dream.
When he awoke, the dream was so vivid, he drew what he saw on a piece of paper and asked his neighbour to sign it.
Little did he know that the drawing would become an accurate representation of the gold nugget he would find two weeks later.
This is a scan of the original drawing.
Meet Kevin and Bep
On the day the Hand of Faith was discovered, Kevin and Bep Hillier were living with their four children in a converted bus at the Bridgewater Caravan Park.
Kevin had recently undergone a back operation and was told by his doctor that he needed to walk for his recovery. When a Workcover cheque arrived in the mail, Kevin made a snap decision to purchase a detector, with the idea of aiding his recovery whilst trying his luck on the Victorian Goldfields.
It was a leap of faith that changed the course of his family’s life.
This is Kevin and Bep Hillier, pictured in 2012. After finding the Hand of Faith, they continued their love of detecting and often joked they were still looking for the ‘Foot of Faith’.
The Hand of Faith Story
Bep Hillier retells the tale of finding the Hand of Faith, and explores if it was luck, or faith, that led them to the Victorian Goldfields that day.
Bep gives an incredible account of the fortuitous events that led up to the discovery of the Hand of Faith. From Kevin’s dream to the drawing of the nugget, it is an unbelievable story.
FAQs
The Hand of Faith was found in bushland behind the old Kingower Primary School, near the small township of Wedderburn, Australia. The area is situated in the Central Victorian Goldfields and was popular during the 1850s Goldrush.
The nugget is 47 cm x 20 cm x 9 cm. It weighs 875 troy ounces (27.66 kg).
The Hand of Faith is the largest gold nugget still in existence to be found with a metal detector. The ‘rags to riches’ tale behind its discovery is an inspiring story about family and faith.
The Hand of Faith was sold to the Golden Nugget Casino, Las Vegas, in 1981, where it is still on permanent display.
Based on the dollar value of the nugget in 1980, today the Hand of Faith would be worth approx. $3.5 million.
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