“We are filthy rich” Kevin Hillier told his wife Bep as he started to uncover the Hand of Faith gold nugget in Kingower almost 30 years ago.

And so they were, with the nugget being snapped up by the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas for $1,000,000 U.S..

The PMAV has now erected a monument at the exact site of the discovery of the Hand of Faith and this was recently unveiled by Kevin Hillier.

Peter Walsh, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was amongst the crowd of around 60 who attended the unveiling, as was the Regional Manager of Parks Victoria - Chris McCormack.

The Hand of Faith is the largest of thousands of nuggets found since the introduction of metal detectors.  PMAV President, Rita Bentley, said “the 1980’s was the beginning of a new gold rush that has largely gone unrecognised. Thousands of people combed the hillsides in the old goldfields and most found gold. Kevin’s find is the biggest and added impetus as more people purchased new technology to try their luck.”

 The Hand of Faith monument is located in the Kingower State Forest behind the old school. We urge all members to visit and see if some of Kevin’s luck rubs off.