Blanche Barkly
The Blanche Barkly was a gold nugget found in Kingower, Victoria, named for the daughter of the governor of the colony at the time. Weighing 1743 oz, it was discovered on August 27, 1857 at a depth of 13 feet by Samuel & Charles Napier and Robert & James Ambrose. It was, at the time, the largest gold nugget ever discovered and remains the third-largest discovered. The nugget measured 2'4" long, 10" wide and varied from 1" to 2" in thickness and was valued at between £8,000 and £10,000 at the time of its discovery. Sam Napier reported that it was taken to England and displayed at The Crystal Palace, that the British Museum made a replica, and that it was ultimately bought by the Bank of England for around and melted down to make around 10000 sovereigns.
