There, in wind-whipped sand, half way across the world, people flock to Moelfre to find Talbot gold.

In 1859 The Royal Charter sailed from Melbourne, bound for Liverpool, and chock full of miners and their families, believing themselves lucky ones.

The passengers had struck gold from Talbot’s Scandinavian Lead, which produced some of the region’s richest finds.

The travellers were returning home, with bullions and sovereigns held close, and dreams of an easier life thanks to the fortune. But when they hit the Irish Sea, they hit a force-12 hurricane.

Talbot’s Max Kau says they didn’t stand a chance. Of the almost 400 passengers and crew on board, just 34 survived.

“It’s quite a tragedy, there’s no way miners’ wives and children could have survived that kind of disaster,” Max says.

“A lot of people went down with the ship and their bodies washed up the next day.

“I’ve been there and it’s quite a sobering place.”

Max describes the graves of children and mothers, not forgotten on foreign land.

He says the only bright note to the story was the heroic actions of a rigger, a strong swimmer who made it to the coastal rocks with a rope, connected to the battered ship.

He fashioned a seat from canvas and tried to convince the passengers to climb into it so they could slide over sea, from ship to rocks, via the rope.

Few were brave enough and most went down with their treasure.

“Now it’s a diver's and gold finder's haven,” Max says.

“A lot of people go there to find central Victorian gold, which still washes up on the beach.”

The brave rigger’s story will be told tomorrow during the town’s Sketches and Stories event, part of Goldfields Heritage Month.

An actor will present this, and other little-known Talbot tales, amid an afternoon of heritage celebrations.

Local historian Marie Kau will launch a book on local World War I diggers, the Central Goldfields mayor will open a new exhibition at the museum, and local primary school children and the Maryborough Brass Band will form a procession.

The action starts at 1.30pm, but Sunday is also farmers’ market day, so head out early for your dose of fresh fruit and veg along with the history fix.

For more information on this and other heritage events, go to www.goldfieldsheritage.com.au