The world’s largest gold nugget ever found weighs as much as an adult man, making it a gold miner’s ultimate dream. Gold has historically been a reliable investment due to its enduring high value. During the Australian gold rush, the largest nugget was discovered by two Cornish miners on 5 February 1869 in Victoria, Australia.
John Deason and Richard Oats unearthed the massive nugget, weighing 72 kilograms and measuring 61 cm long, in Bulldog Gully. The nugget, dubbed the “Welcome Stranger,” was encased in quartz and found lodged in a tree's roots. Deason recounted his efforts to extract the nugget, stating, “I tried to prise the nugget up with the pick but the handle broke. I then got a crowbar and raised the nugget to the surface.”
Transported to Dunolly for weighing at the London Chartered Bank, the nugget proved too large for the scales and had to be broken into smaller pieces for measurement. Deason and Oats received just under £10,000 for their find, with the gold subsequently melted down. Today, a nugget of similar size would be valued at around £2 million.
Gold continues to hold its allure as a valuable investment, with its scarcity and enduring appeal contributing to its status as a sought-after asset. The discovery of the “Welcome Stranger” remains a testament to the allure of gold mining and the potential for extraordinary finds in the pursuit of this precious metal.
