In Waverley, gold was first discovered in 1861. This discovery brought with it an influx of miners from all across the globe. Miners from Cornwall, Germany, Australia, and the United States joined Nova Scotia miners in Waverley causing the population to swell from just over 200 people to over 2000 people. Gold in Waverley is found in barrel quarts and required crushing equipment and chemical processes to divorce the two.
The Waverley Museum has a large collection of photos, documents, and artifacts that tell the story of the three Waverley gold rushes.