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Richard Oates Print Page Print this page

Plaque Inscription: 01-December-2014
Plaque Inscription: 01-December-2014

Photographs supplied by Sandra Brown
A monument commemorates Richard Oates, a Cornish prospector, who discovered the "Welcome Stranger" gold nugget with John Deason near Moliagul, Victoria in 1869. 

The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget found, which had a calculated refined weight of 3,123 oz 6 dwts 9 gr (71.018 kg). It measured 61 by 31 cm (24 by 12 in) and was discovered by Cornish prospectors John Deason and Richard Oates on 5 February 1869 at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia, about 9 miles (14.6 kilometres) north-west of Dunolly. Deason, Oates and a few friends took the nugget to the London Chartered Bank of Australia, in Dunolly, which advanced them £9,000. Deason and Oates were finally paid an estimated £9,381 for their nugget, which became known as the "Welcome Stranger."

Richard Oates was born about 1827 in Cornwall. After the 1869 find Oates returned to the United Kingdom and married. He returned with his wife to Australia and they had four children. The Oates family purchased 800 acres (3.2 km2) of land at Marong, Victoria in 1895 and Oates farmed until his death in the settlement in 1906, aged 79 years.

Location

Address:Cemetery Road, Marong Cemetery , Marong , 3515
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -36.758179
Long: 144.126328
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Industry

Dedication

Front Inscription

IN MEMORY OF RICHARD OATES
Born St Just, Cornwall 1827
Laid to rest in this cemetery 1906

Co-finder of the Welcome Stranger
The World`s largest alluvial golf nugget

Erected By
Cornish Association of Bendigo & District
George A Ellis  President
Leanne Lloyd   Secretary
Robert Lloyd     Treasurer

 

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au