William Barker (prospector)

He married widow Jane Lavender in Bluntisham, Huntingdonshire, in 1839, and they had one daughter named Emma Eliza (born 1840).

Many people said he was crazy for doing this, but, after a short period of time, his party pulled out about 60 ounces (1,700 g) of gold at a depth of about 52 feet below ground.

It was said that Barker smoked as many as 30 cigarettes a day, finding it hard to deal with the stress of having that much gold, as well as the progressive symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

The previous year Barker had sold his shares in the claim that had made him famous, since most of the "lead" gold had been cleared out.

He died penniless in a Victoria nursing home on 11 July 1894 with symptoms of Parkinson's disease and/or possible cancer in his jaw.