General meeting April 2024

Brun and Jay are skilled metal detectorists using the latest equipment. For them it is not just a fun hobby. By discovering lost or discarded items they are saving them from decay. They love the history the items call up - the memory of those who held the items.
Brun showed three examples.
At Bungala House in Yankalilla, where they examined a small area of the grounds, they found many coins e.g. a 1910 sixpence and a Holloway’s Pills and Ointments token dated 1857. There was copper wire, a government arrow padlock, a Brylcream jar, lipstick case, hair clip, and studs/ rivets for suspenders or a leather satchel. A treasured find was a Cheerup Fund RVA badge.
At an old farmhouse ruin with glorious views they found evidence of gardens, a deep well, stone walls, fireplaces and fruit trees. There were many bullet casings, parts of a tape measure and a dog disc and chain. The disc had the Yankalilla district number, a hole in the disc indicated it belonged to a female dog and the dates 1896-97.
On the first day of 2024, on the roadway near Treasure Lane and the Community Sheep Dip, they dug up a 1954 florin, a 1950 penny and a 1960 shilling with its ram’s head. Their most spectacular find was a late Victorian love knot brooch which represents undying love and devotion. Someone’s wife, mother, or sister probably spent hours trying to find the lost brooch. The audience were encouraged to handle the treasures on display, which included a large container of ring pulls!