# Dig in South Australia



## TROG (Oct 5, 2008)

Last weekend my brother and I went for a dig in Northern South Australia near an old farming town. This area suffered from lack of consistent rain and a lot of the farms and businesses etc were abandoned in the early 1900,s. We were put onto a lead from my sister inlaw who grew up in this area and were lucky enough to find a couple of dumps with one being quite a lot larger than the other. Unlucky for us though this first day digging was done in almost 40c temperatures with a howling northerly gale and after digging the first spot gave it away for several hours until slightly less wind and heat later in the day. This first spot produced a few pickaxe crown seals in normal beer and wine shapes and 3 bullet stoppers (2 S A Brewing Port Augusta and a Hygea Petersburg)plus a few stone bottles and a couple of blue castor oils and dated around 1920. We found 3 broken G Bs in this hole being a Halls Norwood, a Humphris Jamestown with just the blob top gone and a very rare A B & Co from Port Pirie in several pieces. The second site we dug in temps ranging from 35c down to about 30c over 3 days. This spot produced quite a lot of bottles including 3 maughams and 11 bullet stoppers , a Warners and 1 Eye Ointment Pot Lid and a very rare S A Hot Sauce bottle from D & R J Fotheringham of Gawler with the most surprising find of a New Zealand Mineral Water bottle. The cry bottles were 2 F. Humphris, Adelaide and Jamestown Lemon Squash bottles which I believe bring around $2,000 if you could get one.
 Unfortunately the camera gave up after only 4 or 5 photos so did not get any shots of the second site


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## TROG (Oct 5, 2008)

more


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## TROG (Oct 5, 2008)

The Maughams and Bullet Stopper Bottles


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## pyshodoodle (Oct 5, 2008)

Looks like a good day! I love the eye ointment pot lid.[]

 Kate


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## kastoo (Oct 5, 2008)

Cool bottles, I spent 2 years in S. Australia at Woomera.  I have been to Augusta, Port Pirie and Adelaide.


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## madpaddla (Oct 5, 2008)

Great digs.  Is it just very ash or dry there....?  Do folks there tumble a lot of bottles.  Last one for ya ...are there a lot of privy diggers there?  Keep it up ..really nice to see different bottles.   Any of those you keepin for you shelf?
 Madpaddla


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## capsoda (Oct 5, 2008)

Hey David, Good to hear from ya. Looks like a good dig. Great Melborne Warner's and I like the hot sauce too. 

 The wife wants to know what the cobalts are.


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## TROG (Oct 6, 2008)

Hi Madpaddla,

 The area where we dug is usually very dry and has an annual rainfall of about 10 inches, Most bottles from South Australia do need a tumble as because most areas are dry and the soil is alkaline these bottles get very sick. In other parts of Oz especially Victoria where it is generally a lot wetter a majority of bottles come out in good condition .There are not a lot of privy diggers( I only know of about 10 diggers in this state who regularly are looking for dig sites) over here as Adelaide which is the main and virtually only city in South Australia had town sewerage in the 1870s and was not all that large before that. Most small towns had a bucket pick up of there toilet waste which was dumped in trenches and therefore no privy holes .We do however find the odd house site where rubbish has been buried along the back fence line.

 The picture below is of my brother in the first hole we found



> ORIGINAL: madpaddla
> 
> Great digs.  Is it just very ash or dry there....?  Do folks there tumble a lot of bottles.  Last one for ya ...are there a lot of privy diggers there?  Keep it up ..really nice to see different bottles.   Any of those you keepin for you shelf?
> Madpaddla


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## TROG (Oct 6, 2008)

Hi Warren,

 The Cobalt bottles were an unbranded  hair renewer, a couple of small made in Japan poisons, a castor oil, a tiny blackwoods ink from London and a Quibles infalible disenfectant from England



> ORIGINAL: capsoda
> 
> Hey David, Good to hear from ya. Looks like a good dig. Great Melborne Warner's and I like the hot sauce too.
> 
> The wife wants to know what the cobalts are.


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 6, 2008)

Cool digs trog....
  Now I know where the term "Down Under" came from,a bottle digger must have started it.[]


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## TROG (Nov 1, 2009)

Just back from our yearly jaunt and back to the same area and dug a few bottles. Not a lot for 5 days digging  but still proves they are out there if you put in the time.Very hot again this year and ranged from 32c - 36c in the shade for the 5 days and over 50c every day in the sun which is where we were digging


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## cadburys (Nov 1, 2009)

Nice digs David. Do you ever get run off  from dump sites in the middle of nowhere?

  Ant


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## madman (Nov 1, 2009)

yo trog nice finds thanks for posting!


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## cyberdigger (Nov 1, 2009)

This is awesome.. I would have an outback-sized fit of elation if I dug those up... my biggest congrats, mate!!!


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## Penn Digger (Nov 2, 2009)

David,

 Did you have a table at the Pittsburgh show a few years back?  I bought some Ausie Warner's from a fellow from Australia at that show.  Just wondering if it was you?

 PD


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## capsoda (Nov 2, 2009)

Wow what a haul. Great digs David.


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

Hi Anthony,

 We have never had any trouble as these sites are in areas with  very little population and usually in a creek bed and well out of site.

 David


> ORIGINAL:  cadburys
> 
> Nice digs David. Do you ever get run off  from dump sites in the middle of nowhere?
> 
> Ant


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

Hi P D ,

 I have never been to the U S but would like to get to one of the FOHBC shows one day.



> ORIGINAL:  Penn Digger
> 
> David,
> 
> ...


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

these photos are taken from the one spot in all 4 directions a few miles from where we were digging
 looking east


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

looking west


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

looking north


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

looking south


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

A visitor to our digging and also saw a  snake which luckily slithered away


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

another photo


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

another


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

another


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## TROG (Nov 2, 2009)

the better bottles all for soda etc all dated around 1905


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## JOETHECROW (Nov 2, 2009)

Dave,...Thank you for posting your very interesting bottles and digging pics,....If you were to ask my wife, she could tell you, anytime she asks "If you could go anywhere and do anything, what would it be?" My reply,...."Dig for antique bottles in Australia"....This map hangs in my computer office,....Thanks again.
                                                                           Regards,  Joe


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## RedGinger (Nov 2, 2009)

[8|]  I thought it was England.  How will you get there instead of flying, swim?


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## cyberdigger (Nov 2, 2009)

Continental drip... ever heard of that? It's a crazy notion, but when I see one of these upside-down maps, I can't help but wonder!! [8|][8|]...[8|]


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## potstone (Nov 2, 2009)

David,
 Great grouping of some very nice bottles.  
 Looks like beautiful country to live and dig in.
 Thanks for sharing your treasures, Greg


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## JOETHECROW (Nov 2, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: cyberdigger
> 
> Continental drip... ever heard of that? It's a crazy notion, but when I see one of these upside-down maps, I can't help but wonder!! [8|][8|]...[8|]


 

 Too funny Charlie,...(but you might just have something there)[] Actually I'd like to dig in Australia the most, but England would do in a pinch![]                                                                Joe


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## woody (Nov 2, 2009)

I've been to Canberra, Melbourne & Sidney.
 Beautiful country with lots of sheep!!![]


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