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Marong Cemetery

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Marong
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Cemetery Road, Marong VIC 3515

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Features

  • Interesting cemetery
  • Monument dedicated to Richard Oates, co finder of the Welcome Stranger gold nugget
The small Marong Cemetery is an interesting place to wander through, as it is the final resting place of Richard Oates - co finder of the world's largest alluvial gold nugget, the Welcome Stranger. 



A commemorative monument stands close to his grave site.

The stone monument is located up the back and immediately to the left of the central track into the cemetery. Richard Oates' grave itself is close by on the other side of the track.


The monument has a plaque which displays the following text:

IN MEMORY OF RICHARD OATES

Born St Just, Cornwall 1827
Laid to rest in this cemetery 1906
Co-finder of the Welcome Stranger
The worlds largest alluvial gold nugget

Erected by 
Cornish Association of Bendigo & District

George A Ellis, President
Leanne Lloyd, Secretary
Robert Lloyd, Treasurer

Richard Oates' grave stone displays the following text:

Richard Oates 
Died 23-10-1906 
Loved Wife Jane 25-1-1921 
Parents Of 
Richard, Elizabeth & Annie 
"Welcome Stranger" 5-2-1869

The Welcome Stranger


The largest alluvial gold nugget ever found was the world famous "Welcome Stranger", which was unearthed in 1869. 

John Deason and Richard Oates discovered the massive gold nugget mere inches below the surface in the Victorian Goldfields town, Moliagul. 

The Welcome Stranger gold nugget was so big that it had to be broken up on an anvil before it could be weighed at the bank in nearby Dunolly. 

Unfortunately in all the excitement, nobody thought to take a picture of the nugget before it was broken up, and the only sketches made were drawn from memory.



DID YOU KNOW...

  • Many cemeteries in the goldfields were established in the early-mid 19th century. Walking through the historic cemeteries of the area is like taking a walk through time.
 

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