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 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.
John Deason, co-finder of the Welcome Stranger, is buried in the
Moliagul Cemetery.
SEE ALSO
BBQ
Marong
