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Welcome to this site, a recount of an historic, but little known Australian story of Martin Wiberg and the theft of 5,000 Gold Sovereigns from R.M.S.S Avoca in 1877.

Martin was a crafty individual. Not only did he steal the coins, but he hid them in unique ways and not all in the same place. He was caught by police and he escaped spending months roaming South Gippsland before being re-captured.

Many of the 5,000 Gold Sovereigns were never recovered. Approximately, 3,500 sovereigns possibly await your discovery

As you make you way through this site, you will find interactive elements which will provide you with further information and actions to enhance your visit. I hope you enjoy your visit.

LOCATION: VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Date 1877

HIDDEN COINS

When Detectives located Martin's hut on a selection at Tarwin River they searched heavily for the sovereigns.

Outside of the hut, hidden in a hollow log was a large carpenters plane, and concealed inside the plane were 56 coins. Martin had bored a hole into the end of it, to a depth of about two feet (60cm), and then closed the hole with a piece of wood which made it barely noticeable.

The Argus, 1878 reported that the detectives witnessed a Swede by the name of Charlie take the plane from the hut into the scrub and emerge without it, which led to them interrogating Charlie and locating it.

OTHER HIDING PLACES

Other unique hiding places, include a Barrel of Tallow that Wiberg crafted. Inside the Tallow, Wiberg hid 800 sovereign coins. This barrel had been sent to Emerald Hill (South Melbourne) for a boat to be purchased on his behalf (Australian Town and Country Journal, 1878).

Detectives also reportedly (The Argus, 1938) recovered kerosene tins of axle grease that had sovereigns inside them, from a cave that Wiberg stayed in at Waratah Bay, South Gippsland.

EUREKA

In 1904, the Barrier Miner, and Albury Banner and Wodonga Express reported that an unidentified resident of Inverloch found 75 sovereigns inside a log as he was cutting up firewood.

...NOT SO FOR...

Calvert Wyeth, who was the proprietor of Inverloch’s Pine Lodge Motel (no longer in existence). On clearing some land for a golf course, The Argus, 1938 reported that Wyeth took down a hut that once belonged to Martin Wiberg. Every nook and cranny was searched, but no sovereigns were found.