LARGEST GOLDEN NUGGET WEIGHTS ALMOST MORE THAN A MAN

Fishermen's son John Deason was. He was not thought to be destined for greatness in the future, much like his future business partner, fellow tin miner Richard Oates. However, an Australian Gold Rush that began in New South Wales in 1851 altered their respective destinies. Thousands upon thousands of prospectors travelled to the Outback in the hopes of striking it lucky and finding gold. In 1853, Deason departed for Australia, and Oates accompanied him there a year later. 

The men were barely scraping by, and their meagre farms provided the money for their prospecting endeavours, even though they occasionally struck tiny gold nuggets. The men reportedly didn't even have enough credit the week before their big break to receive a sack of flour. Deason broke his pick on what would later be dubbed the "Welcome Stranger" nugget after 15 years of labour. The massive gold object, weighing an incredible 158.7 pounds, was discovered entangled in a tree's roots and covered in quartz. The men made the decision to hold off on uncovering the entire nugget until nightfall. They then threw a party for their friends to celebrate their momentous discovery. 

As a protective shield, these close friends drove the men and their nugget to the neighbouring town of Donolly. They drew enough people to the London Chartered Bank to warrant the dispatch of a constable. But the Welcome Stranger was too large to fit on the scale of the bank. The nugget was broken up to be weighed before a picture could be taken. To get pieces that were small enough, it took five hours. 

The nugget was compared to the largest "Welcome Nugget" discovered in New South Wales more than ten years prior. The Welcome Stranger weighed six pounds more and was made of pure gold. Eager to own a piece of history, Deason and Oates generously shared portions of the nugget with their friends, making over £9,400 ($11,863). That is currently equivalent to just over £1.3 million, or $1.64 million. But today, the same amount of gold would bring about £3 million ($3.8 million).

By the end of February 1869, the nugget had been melted and shipped to England, and Deason and Oates returned to cultivating their land as if nothing had changed. On a visit following their discovery, the local newspaper Dunolly & Bet Bet Shire Express observed how little the men had changed and began, "We are glad that the monster has fallen to the lot of such steady and industrious men." Deason and his family stayed in the region, and his descendants continue to live in this peaceful farming community today. Oates eventually went back to Australia after spending some time in his native country, where he eventually married and raised a family.