An early 20th century scam involving a promise of diamonds and gold, faux investors, fake letters and a quirky typewriter – all centred on what locals call a 'bloody big hole'.
Nestled among gumtrees on the side of a hill in a national park east of Canberra is a gaping hole that was once at the centre of one of Australia's most elaborate fraud schemes.Located in Deua National Park , it is thought to have formed about 50 million years ago when the roof of a cave collapsed.
Fraser began selling £1 shares into a mining operation at the Big Hole and a neighbouring mine he said was the source of the gold.To convince his investors and give the scheme credibility, Fraser made up characters: a London-based mining investor and millionaire called Mr Stangor, and a German mining expert called Gustave Von Dahl — who supported the project and confirmed via written correspondence that the rocks were likely rich in gold and diamonds.
Photo at the bottom of The Big Hole taken by Queanbeyan Civil Defence rescue party members and published in the Canberra Times in 1965.The Clarence and Richmond Examiner said it was "one of the most elaborately arranged swindles Australia has ever known". Canberra Speleological Society member John Brush frequently visits the site and has twice descended to the bottom."The Big Hole is a bloody big hole. It's just fantastic, it's immense. You can't imagine how big it is until you see it," Mr Brush said.
"I quite treasure tree ferns, and there is an immense variety of large tree ferns down there. So that's the real treasure," Mr Brush said.People come from all over the world to these NSW beaches, but most visitors miss the storyWe watched as an Australian got scammed. Trying to warn them was harder than you thinkWhy these immigrants are deciding to return to their motherlandAustralian doctors' details are up for sale on the dark web.
Deua River Big Hole Gold Swindle Scam Fraud Abseiling Caves Caving Gold Fraud Deua National Park National Parks Alexander Fraser Mr Stangor Gustave Von Dahl
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