Address & Contact
Welcome Stranger Rd
Moliagul VIC 3472
Phone: N/A
Email: N/A
Web: https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/explore-location/77/welcome-stranger-monument-and-picnic-area
Information
The Welcome Stranger Monument at Moliagul stands as a tribute to the ultimate prospector's dream, marking the exact spot where the world's largest gold nugget was unearthed on February 5, 1869. Found by John Deason and Richard Oates, the massive specimen lay just three centimetres below the surface near the roots of a stringybark tree. Weighing in at an incredible 2,284 ounces, the nugget was so large it had to be broken on an anvil at nearby Dunolly just to be weighed, forever cementing this quiet pocket of the Victorian Golden Triangle in mining folklore.
The site today offers a peaceful and well-maintained stop for travellers, featuring a stone obelisk surrounded by the scarred earth of the historic diggings.
A gentle walking track meanders through the scrub, providing a sense of the rugged conditions faced by 19th-century miners, while informative signage brings the story of the discovery and its lucky finders to life.
Visitors can make use of the provided picnic tables and gas barbecues, making it an ideal spot for a lunch break while exploring the Dunolly-Moliagul Historic Area.
For those carrying a detector, the surrounding bushland remains a popular destination for modern-day gold seekers, though a valid Miner's Right is essential.
While the monument site is for day use only, excellent camping can be found a short drive away at Mount Moliagul or Teddington Reservoir. It is worth noting that facilities in Moliagul are very limited, so it is best to stock up on fuel and supplies in the nearby towns of Dunolly or Maryborough before arriving to enjoy this significant piece of Australian history.
