Australian man accidentally throws out $50,000 worth of wife's jewellery
An Australian man is rueing his plan to hide the family's valuables from thieves resulted in $50,000 (£32,000) worth of jewellery being thrown out.
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2011/08/3918.jpg A man hid his wife's uninsured gold jewellery and several valuable family heirlooms in plastic rubbish bags in case their home was ever robbed Photo: ALAMY
By Bonnie Malkin, Sydney
9:23AM BST 30 Aug 2011
The man, known only as Geoffrey, hid his wife's uninsured gold jewellery and several valuable family heirlooms in plastic rubbish bags in case their home was ever robbed.
But while the family was preparing to move house, just days before the couple's 23rd wedding anniversary, the bags were accidentally thrown away.
They are now believed to be somewhere in the local council's vast rubbish tip, but council officials have said the likelihood of finding the bags was slim.
Geoffrey, who works as a truck driver in Brisbane, said he was frightened his family would be a target of robbers, so he devised a plan to keep the jewellery safe.
"I had this great idea to split the gold into three rubbish bags, so if the thieves did come, they're not going to find it," he told the Courier-Mail newspaper.
"We're moving house, and I told the kids to give me any garbage lying around for me to throw out.
"My wife rang me up when I was at work and said 'where are the bags?' You know that sick feeling you get? Wow."
Most of the gold, which included charm bracelets, bangles and pure gold bars, was bought as an investment while the couple lived in Britain for 25 years.
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council said the local landfill received 1,400 tonnes of rubbish per week, roughly half the capacity of an Olympic swimming pool.
Searching for the lost items was simply not an option, a spokesman for the council said.
Australian man accidentally throws out $50,000 worth of wife's jewellery - Telegraph
