The Holtermann Nugget is the world's largest gold specimen and from the day of its discovery in 1872, its image has appeared in advertising, photograph, paintings, drawings, models, and sculptures.

The exhibition, of photographs, ephemera and painting, reverses the world's gaze and shows what the nugget saw when it looked back.

The nugget, named after mine owner, snake oil salesman and photography impresario B. O. Holtermann, measured 144.5 centimetres long and 67 centimetres wide (average), and weighed 285.7 kilograms.

"I decided to do something totally different and made a life-sized cutout model of the nugget and visited Hill End, with the purpose of engaging the people.

"I was amazed with the response, one man even took it home and slept with it, while a young child took special interest, but the real purpose was to see what the nugget would have seen."

From this experiment in recreating the probable vision of a large, humanoid rock, Mrs Gowans has produced a series of ethereal and uncanny photos secretly recorded by the nugget.

"The images offer a glimpse of the world through the lens of a gentle, sacrificial soul," she said.

"Although much loved by Holtermann, after only three days of life above ground, the nugget was brutally pulverised for its yield of pure gold.

The nugget's ghostly vision is an artefact of its poor eyesight and a $29 spy pen.

"I reckon that the nugget having been underground in the dark for so long, it would not see very clearly.

"Being a large mineral unable to turn its head, the nugget would also be limited in its angle of vision.

"Although, in theory, it could lie on its back and look up. Under these conditions, more than 30 images were successfully recorded as I escorted the wobbly nugget through Hill End's cottages and tracks.

Mrs Gowans' photographs, paintings and Hill End ephemera will be at The Hanging Space Gallery, 409-411 Princes Highway, Woonona, from August 7 to 30. She will give a talk at The Hanging Space on Sunday, August 10, at 2pm.