Steve Greenwood’s love of animals as a young boy led to a hobby that has lasted for more than 55 years. As a young boy growing up in Maryborough, Steve’s father would take the family on regular hunting trips to the nearby bush. While the rest of the family concentrated on finding rabbits for dinner, Steve discovered another treasure – bottles.
“We were a big family brought up to use guns and go out shooting to places like Lillicur, Talbot, Amherst, Dunolly and Adelaide Lead,” Steve said.
“I couldn’t bring myself to shoot animals, so I’d wander off to see what I could find.
“I would come across old homesites and places where people had gathered, houses and huts, and collect the things that had been left behind long ago, especially bottles.
“Right from the word go I knew they were valuable; I just had a hard time explaining it to the old man. He would ask me ‘Why are you bringing home other people’s rubbish?’.”
That ‘rubbish’ has led to Steve being considered an authority in antique bottles. He is one of the organisers of the Antique Bottles and Collectables Show in August, where collectors from Australia, New Zealand and America will come together at Carisbrook to exhibit their wares.
Steve says the show is not just for experts, and encourages anyone who may wonder at the value of old bottles collecting dust in the shed to come along and have them valued.
“Depending on their age and rarity, bottles can fetch anything up to $100 thousand,” Steve said.
The history of the goldfields – with its transient population and abandoned settlements – makes it fertile ground for unearthing hidden treasures. Modern-day prospectors may come across bottles in their search for gold, and as Steve explains, they may be worth more than those elusive nuggets.
“Some of the old Hamilton Patent Bottles can date back as far as the 1790s, so they would be worth quite a bit. The Codd bottles with marbles in the neck can also be quite valuable,” Steven said.
“Just turn up on the day and bring your bottles to one of our local club members. We will tell you the history and give you an honest evaluation – you never know, it could be worth a fortune!”
