Benjamin Betts

Legacy

Benjamin Betts found a large gold nugget at Kitty's Lead.

A nugget weighing 250 oz 15 dwt was unearthed by Benjamin Betts on Thursday morning at Kitty’s Lead, near the old Buninyong Racecourse. It was found only-three inches below the surface. Betts took it to the National Bank at mid-day on Thursday, and soon after his arrival the bank was crowded with sightseers. Mr Betts informed us that he commenced prospecting at Kitty’s when he ceased driving a cab, and that about a fortnight since he got a nugget weighing 5 oz, and has since then got nuggets weigh ing from 4 to 6½. oz but on Thursday he unearthed this monster nugget. There were only himself and son at work at the time, but since this rich find several other miners have set to work.

Obituary

A PIONEER MINER.

ENFIELD, Thursday.

An old and much respected identity has passed away to join the great majority in the person of Mr Benjamin Betts, of Scotchmans. Ben, as he was familiarly called by all his mining acquaintances, was a fine specimen of the early diggers of Ballarat, having been a sturdy and typical gold digger, and a man possessed of sound common sense. Ben's name will always he inseparably connected with the discovery of the largest nugget ever found at Kitty’s, nearly 20 years ago. This nugget, a model of which is to be seen in the museum at the School of Mines, Ballarat, was considerably over 20 lb weight, and brought a cash value of between £1100 and £1200. The history of the find of big nuggets seems to repeat itself. At the time that he found the big piece, Mr Betts was in very straitened circumstances. He had a large family, none-of the members of which were old enough at that time to assist him, he had been out of work for some time, and the proverbial bag of flour had been refused by the local store keeper, when Ben made up his mind to try his luck at Kitty’s. It was most fortunate for him that he did, for on the day of starting work, he unearthed the welcome stranger in the grass roots. For years after he and his sons worked at Kitty’s with varying success. On one occasion he got an 80 oz piece, and altogether at Kitty’s he obtained smaller pieces and loose gold, which more than equaled the value of the monster nugget. His firm opinion, which he held to the last, and which the writer has often heard him express, that there are plenty more nuggets at Kitty’s yet, and which will be discovered some day. The fact that, there are hundreds of acres of virgin soil in the vicinity, and on the line of Kitty’s, lends much color to the probability, of the late Mr Betts theory. Mr Betts e leaves a widow, and large family of sons and daughters, all grown up, some of whom are married, and settled in different parts of the colony. He left his widow and family in very comfortable circumstances, he having proved himself to he a model husband and father.

See also

Kitty's Lead

External links

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--Clare K.Gervasoni 13:27, 19 August 2021 (AEST)