The Welcome Stranger was the discovery of miners John Deason and Richard Oates, seasoned gold prospectors hoping to find their fortune in Victoria. They were working in Bulldog Gully, near Moliagul in Central Victoria. On the morning of 5 February 1869, Deason was working around the roots of a tree when his pick struck something hard a few centimeters beneath the surface, and broke. He is purported to have exclaimed in annoyance 'I wish it was a nugget'.

It turned out to be a single nugget of alluvial gold that weighed around 70kg. This extraordinary discovery, estimated to be worth millions in today's money, encouraged thousands of hopeful prospectors to come to Australia to try their luck.

The excitement and drama of the Gold Rush has inspired this 2020 $1 Eureka! Australia's Gold Rush Silver C Mintmark Coin, featuring selective gold plating.