The Lure of the Seydlitz and the Ballina Treasure Trove

TREASURE TROVE AT BALLINA

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ANOTHER attempt to find the supposed "treasure trove," relic of early World War days, on the beach near Ballina, has

ended in failure. It has been reported that two men, both Germans, who drove from Hall's Creek, W.A., to Tweed Heads in a utility truck with the intention of unearthing thousands of pounds worth of jewellery and cash from a hiding spot on the beach, parted soon after their arrival on the North Coast without having fulfilled their mission. The history of the treasure has for Jome years past been the subject of gossip and has been referred to in newspaper articles. The story is," briefly, that several days before England declaagd war on Germany in 1914 the German consul in Sydney and a number of wealthy German residents despatched in the German steamer Sedlitz a eopper box containing £2500 in sovereigns, and also a quantity of valuable jewellery and private documents. The master of the Sedlitz, fearing capture, decided to send ashore on the North Coast, supposedly near Ballina, and bury the sovereigns . and jewellery. They were meant to be retrieved after the war. The Sedlitz was not captured, and reached Germany safely. According to the latest reports a German, a member of the crew of the Sedlitz, was arrested in Germany by the secret police in connection with the affair about a year ago, but escaped. Joining a ship at Antwerp, in Holland, he sailed for Australia. He landed at Fremantle, W.A., and eventually reached Hall's Creek, which is a small but rich mining centre in the northern part of that State. There he me't another German, a butcher from the Wyndham meat works, who, while the meatworks were in seasonal recess, was trying. his luck on a "show" he owned at Hall's Creek. JOINED FORCES The former member of the Sedlitz became friendly with the butcher, and told him of the Sedlitz affair and said he knew exactly where to find the buried treasure. He said that all other members of the crew of the Sedlitz had since died, and that he alone knew the spot where the copper box and its contents , had been buried. The two men decided to motor across the continent. The butcher from Wyndham agreed to use his utility truck for this purpose, and scraping together-, all the money they had the men provisioned themselves for the 3000 miles trip. On reaching Tweed Heads they pitched camp. The following morning when the butcher awoke he ound that his companion had left. The other had shown a plan of the locality which he said he had carried with him since the treasure was buried. Later that day, however, the man from Wyndham found the other on the road between Tweed Heads and Byron Bay, and they joined .forces again, after some quarrelling and mutual, explanations. For two days they searched near Byron Bay without success. Then they decided the treasure must be closer to Ballina, and after a search in this direction had failed also, the owner of the plan — who had continually expressed a fear that he might be arrested— suggested searching near Evans Head. They stayed three weeks at Evans Head, searching between there and . Ballina. Again their search was fruitless, and, with tempers frayed, they had another quarrel. "TRYING TO DUMP ME" According to the man from Wyndham the other man knew very well exactly where the treasure was, and he accused him of trying to get away from him. Eventually the owner of the plan left the camp and did not return. His companion, realising further search was useless, gave up. the attempt. The owner of the utility truck said afterwards in relating his experiences that his companion had referred on several occasions to two other Germans who had known of the treasure, and who, he said, had tried to find it! He was sure, however, that they had . failed. These two Germans, he said, were responsible for the beaching of the boat at Ballina some years ago. Now 3000 miles from his starting point, and none the richer for his long trip and the money he had put into the venture, the man from . Wyndham has decided that if there there is buried treasure on the coast of N.S.W., between Tweed Heads and Evans Head, he, at least, has no chance of finding it.


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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,63058.msg311749.html#msg311749

First time I have heard of this one , don't know how factual it is , but the search area is huge unless you could pinpoint it exactly ..cheers Mick

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,63058.msg311760.html#msg311760

There was talk that one of them had a map with the location. If someone could track it down it would sure natrow the search

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