Relic Custodians Australia

Relic Custodians Australia Exposing the storys from the relics we find. Relic recovery and lost property services. Just a guy trying to expose the stories behind his finds.

04/09/2026

Detectorists will know...

I'm always 10 steps ahead of myself! Suppose a little ADHD—or whatever it is I have will do that to ya!Here's a compilat...
01/09/2026

I'm always 10 steps ahead of myself! Suppose a little ADHD—or whatever it is I have will do that to ya!

Here's a compilation of some of the more interesting finds from a lake north of Perth. This workers hut site was part of an old market garden, dating from around 1910–1930, although there are definitely signs of earlier activity in the area.

The standout find for me was this beautiful silver buckle ring, representing strength and protection, bound with love and fidelity. ❤️ It predates the site by atleast 50 years.

Have a good look through the photos and let us know what you think. There's some pretty interesting history hiding in this little collection!

Ooof, I never get sick of pulling these old cricket buckles from the ground.This one dates to 1871, according to the reg...
31/08/2026

Ooof, I never get sick of pulling these old cricket buckles from the ground.
This one dates to 1871, according to the registry diamond stamped on the tongue. (Photos in the comments) I love the clever little motto “United in Play” — a great little reminder of how cricket has brought people together for generations. Another fantastic piece of sporting history unearthed.

And up pops some more silver! 🥄✨This time it’s a broken silver tablespoon, engraved with the initials “J.M.” and hallmar...
30/08/2026

And up pops some more silver! 🥄✨
This time it’s a broken silver tablespoon, engraved with the initials “J.M.” and hallmarked in London, 1799.
It really makes you wonder who once owned it and how it ended up in the ground all those years later. Imagine if it belonged to an early Northam settler such as John Morrell… 🫢
Probably wishful thinking, but that’s half the fun of digging history — you just never know whose story might be hiding beneath your feet! 😁

Good to get out and have a play around the canola the other day. 🌼 (Don’t worry, I didn’t stomp the crops! 😂) Instead, I...
30/08/2026

Good to get out and have a play around the canola the other day. 🌼 (Don’t worry, I didn’t stomp the crops! 😂) Instead, I managed to recover this beautiful silver Victorian-era brooch, dating to around 1891. The crescent moon and grapevine leaves are believed to symbolise everlasting love, growth and enduring affection.

I can only imagine how disappointed its owner must have been when they lost something so beautiful all those years ago. 😢

I've dug a few of this style saddle and harness bosses over the years, but until recently I haven't really been able to ...
28/08/2026

I've dug a few of this style saddle and harness bosses over the years, but until recently I haven't really been able to link them to a particular person or property.
There's always been the possibility that they were saddle-maker's badges, or perhaps personalised badges belonging to the owner of the tack.
With some further research into the history of the property where it was found, an interesting possibility has emerged — there's a strong chance this particular boss was associated with prominent early settler Charles Edward Dempster (1839–1907) who leased the property in 1901.

Dempster was a farmer and grazier, an early explorer and a long-serving councillor and chairman of the Toodyay and Northam Road Boards. He also served in the Western Australian Legislative Council, representing Toodyay and later the East Province.
If the connection is correct, this little piece of horse tack could have belonged to a man who played a significant role in the early european history of the region.

It's amazing how a small piece of metal pulled from the ground can open the door to a much bigger story. There's still more research to do, but this one is looking like a very historical find. 🔎🐎

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dempster&ved=2ahUKEwiE_dugt8SWAxXAj-EIHfxTNsEQFnoECBAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2SOxobBThDkJOkJTi5RZCI

Is it weird that I’ve been digging more silver relics than silver coins lately? 😂 Not that I’m complaining!This little s...
25/08/2026

Is it weird that I’ve been digging more silver relics than silver coins lately? 😂 Not that I’m complaining!
This little silver watch buckle dates to around 1912 and was recently dug at an old ghost town in Western Australia.

It's really cool that the tang is also hallmarked. 🤘⛏️

Anyone ever come across one of these?This is an 8-gauge shotgun cartridge made by the famous British munitions manufactu...
24/08/2026

Anyone ever come across one of these?
This is an 8-gauge shotgun cartridge made by the famous British munitions manufacturer Kynoch. Dating to around 1890, this thing is absolutely massive!

It would have been used for wildfowling, most likely to bring down flocks of birds around the freshwater lake where it was found.

A pretty impressive piece of hunting history, and a great reminder of just how different shotgun ammunition was back in the day.

Ride the dragon!Ignore the dragon, and it'll devour you. Confront the dragon, and it'll overpower you. But ride the drag...
22/08/2026

Ride the dragon!

Ignore the dragon, and it'll devour you. Confront the dragon, and it'll overpower you. But ride the dragon, and you will harness its power.

Fitting words for this old Chinese dragon cigarette tin lid I found recently out bush at a dumping site. At a guess it would date around 1920-30s.🐉

More silver from an early house site. This time it looks to be a napkin ring with somebody's initials on it (EG), Dating...
19/08/2026

More silver from an early house site. This time it looks to be a napkin ring with somebody's initials on it (EG), Dating to 1886.

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