Welcome Stranger gold nugget discovered at Moliagul
- When
- 1869
- Where
- Moliagul; Dunolly
- Episodes
- 2
On 5 February 1869, Cornish miners John Deason and Richard Oates discovered the 'Welcome Stranger' in Moliagul, Victoria. This alluvial gold nugget, weighing 109.59 kilograms, was found just 3 cm below the surface near a tree. The finders received an estimated £9,381 for the nugget, which exceeded the weight of the 1858 Welcome Nugget.
Episodes
- Payment for the Nugget
Deason and Oates received an estimated £9,381 for the Welcome Stranger after initial advances from the London Chartered Bank.
- Discovery of the Welcome Stranger
John Deason and Richard Oates discovered the largest alluvial gold nugget in Moliagul, Victoria, on 5 February 1869.
Background and detail
Background. The 'Welcome Stranger' is recognized as the largest alluvial gold nugget ever discovered. It was unearthed by Cornish miners John Deason and Richard Oates on 5 February 1869 in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia. The nugget was found only 3 cm below the surface, near the base of a tree on a slope leading to Bulldog Gully.
Discovery Details. The nugget had a gross weight of 109.59 kilograms (241 lb 10 oz). It was heavier than the 'Welcome Nugget' of 69.0 kilograms found in Ballarat in 1858. The discovery site is commemorated by an obelisk erected in 1897 near the spot.
Financial Transaction. Deason, Oates, and friends took the nugget to the London Chartered Bank of Australia in Dunolly, which advanced them £9,000. They were finally paid an estimated £9,381 for the nugget, which became known as the 'Welcome Stranger'.
People involved
- John Deason · Miner
- Richard Oates · Miner
Sources
- Welcome Stranger Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-26
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.