Speaker Report: The legend of Benito’s Treasure

A Story Beginning in 1820

David opened by reminding the audience that not every detail in the Benito legend is verifiable (“You don’t have to believe every word I say”) but the tale has been passed down through generations of Queenscliff families, including his own, who arrived in the district in the 1850s.

The story begins in 1820, during an uprising in Lima, Peru. Spanish authorities attempted to move gold and treasure offshore, but a small group of soldiers murdered the priest and guards, seized the hoard, and sailed north toward Mexico. Before doing so, they allegedly buried part of the treasure on the island of Cocos off Santiago.

Enter Benito Bonito

The narrative then shifts to Benito Bonito, reputedly an English naval captain, who recovered the treasure but was then blown off course by trade winds and carried down the east coast of Australia. According to the legend, he entered Port Phillip, sighted Swan Bay from the crow’s nest, and anchored near what is now Basil’s Farm, a location also recorded by John Murray when The Lady Nelson visited in 1802 and which then had a depth of 80 feet.

From this vantage point, Benito’s crew supposedly hid the treasure in a limestone cave near the present day yacht club, then destroyed the entrance.

Kerosene Jack and the Queenscliff Characters

A cabin boy from Genoa witnessed the hiding of the treasure and escaped. He later lived in a hut, married, and eventually occupied a house at 24 Beach Street, famously constructed from kerosene cans. After his wife’s death he fell on hard times and relinquished the lease.

He became known locally as Kerosene Jack, and his association with the treasure drew in other figures, notably James Baillieu who also jumped ship, swam to Queenscliff, and befriended Jack. Baillieu arrived with nothing yet went on to build the Ozone Hotel, prompting speculation that Jack had shown him the treasure’s location. Jack’s tattoos, said to depict clues, earned him free drinks around town.

Treasure Fever in Queenscliff

For the next fifty years, the town was repeatedly dug up by treasure hunters. They excavated extensively but finding only sand. Syndicates arrived from Melbourne and beyond, leaving enormous pits in their wake.

David recalled a cave near the Primary School where he played as a child — a site where flintlock pistols and other artefacts were once reported. In 1954, blasting behind the yacht club shattered school windows; David’s grandfather, then mayor, banned further blasting, though the diggers ignored him.

Local stories abound:

• David’s Aunty Minnie, fishing off Queenscliff, once found a whiting full of gold.
• A friend of David discovered a 2,000 year old Roman coin in his backyard near Swan Bay in 1949.
• Another old mate unearthed a bronze cannonball seven feet underground during sewer works — significant because the Spanish used bronze shot while the British used steel. It weighed 15.8 lbs and was found near the old high school site, roughly 1.5 km from Basil’s Farm and just within cannon shot range.

Archival Evidence and Modern Interest

David noted that PROV holds a box of items associated with the treasure, including 500 pages of correspondence from individuals seeking permission to dig at Queenscliff. Some letters are amusing; all are earnest.

Interest persisted into recent decades. The mayor has even recently asked David to meet the family of the last group to dig for the treasure in 1994.

The Telescope and the Baillieu Connection

A highlight of the evening was David’s display of a telescope left to him by his grandfather, who claimed it belonged to Benito. When authenticated, the telescope drew TV crews and helicopters to Queenscliff. It dates to the early 1800s and bears the inscription S.V.G., indicating Caribbean manufacture. David’s cousin traced its provenance to James Baillieu, linking it back to the treasure legend.

David explained that his grandfather and Darren Baillieu used their combined collections to help establish the Queenscliff Museum.

Kerosene Jack’s Resting Place

David concluded with the gravesite at Point Lonsdale, where the headstone reads: Carisona Giovanni (Jack) “Kerosene Jack” 1817–1902, husband of Anne White.

Conclusion

David described the Benito saga as “the greatest story of Queenscliff”, and judging by the audience’s engagement, few would disagree. His talk blended folklore, family memory, archival hints, and local colour into a lively and thoroughly enjoyable presentation.