Treasure tale inspires musical
IAN Lee was intrigued by The Star’s recent report of the possibility of lost treasure remaining in South Gippsland.
A hoard of gold sovereigns, worth $1.29 million, is unaccounted for after carpenter Martin Wiberg absconded with the booty from a ship in 1877.
The Star’s report of January 23 noted how Wonthaggi man Anthony Benetti is looking for the coins, possibly within the Tarwin Lower and Inverloch areas where Mr Wiberg frequented after stealing the coins from the ship RMSS Avoca he worked upon.
Mr Lee offered yet another South Gippsland link to the story.
He is a retired music teacher and while working at a Melbourne school in 1985, wrote a musical play about the theft, Mr Wiberg’s escape to South Gippsland, and his eventual capture and release.
His musical play was The Notorious Martin Wyberg (there are two recorded spellings of the surname; one with an ‘i’ and the other with a ‘y’).
The show featured such original songs as What an Amount, The Case is Concluded, I am the Chief Inspector, and I Really Can’t Believe It, all written by Mr Lee.
While secondary students enacted the roles, Mr Lee performed his compositions on piano.
Mr Lee became interested in the story of Mr Wiberg after discovering it in a history of South Gippsland.
“Nobody was really familiar with the story at the time,” Mr Lee said.
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