Jen Walsh had little knowledge about gold until she tried out a metal detector for the first time. Her limited understanding mostly came from tuning into her beloved reality show Aussie Gold Hunters on Foxtel. This hit series motivated the 49-year-old to rent a detector during a weekend camping getaway to Maryborough, a quaint town located north of Ballarat amidst the historic goldfields of Victoria.
Jen Walsh recently made a thrilling discovery while out exploring. She came across a small speck of gold just a few meters off the beaten path. The excitement she felt was unlike anything she had experienced before, sparking a sense of gold fever within her. Last month, she unearthed an impressive 52 grams of gold, showcasing her passion for digging up treasures.
The initial taste of success completely transformed Walsh’s life. Leaving her job as a learning support teacher in Melbourne, she took a leap of faith and became a full-time gold prospector in Maryborough. The transition was daunting, as she struggled with mental health issues and knew no one in her new town five years ago. As a newcomer to the world of prospecting, she faced numerous challenges and steep learning curves. Walsh found herself overwhelmed by the unfamiliar terminology and felt lost in conversations about ground noise and reefs. It was like learning a new language, and she felt completely out of her depth from the very beginning.
Jen Walsh established a community called Chicks With Picks to provide support to fellow female prospectors. Initially feeling intimidated in the male-dominated industry, Walsh recalled the challenges she faced when seeking advice on where to find gold. Instead of being directed to fruitful locations, she was often misled to areas full of trash, with male prospectors keeping their prime spots a secret.
Despite the initial obstacles, Walsh eventually gained acceptance within the local prospecting community and found solace in the tranquility of the Australian bush. She described feeling nurtured by Mother Nature and empowered by the ability to choose her own prospecting spots, finding joy and fulfillment in each discovery, no matter how small.
While Walsh has yet to strike it rich with a large nugget, she has accumulated a significant amount of smaller gold pieces, which she now sells to support herself. With the current high price of gold, even these smaller pieces fetch good money, with one recent find netting her $5000 from 52 grams of gold.
However, the greatest treasure Walsh has found through her prospecting journey is the camaraderie and friendships she has developed within the gold-hunting community. Reflecting on her own struggles as a female prospector, Walsh founded Chicks With Picks three years ago to offer support and encouragement to other women in the field. The group has grown to nearly 6000 followers on Facebook and regularly organizes gold prospecting events to bring female prospectors together.
Men and women often gather at prospecting events organized by Jen Walsh’s group, Chicks With Picks. According to Walsh, these events are not just about finding gold, but also about building meaningful friendships. She describes the group as a close-knit “golden family” that continues to grow beyond her expectations.
Tyler Mahoney, a 26-year-old fourth-generation miner, spends her time searching for gold in the Australian outback in Kalgoorlie. Mahoney recalls starting her prospecting journey at a very young age, accompanying her parents on their expeditions since she could walk. She fondly remembers playing a game with her parents where they would mark spots in the bush where they thought gold was hidden. One day, her suggestion led her mother to find gold, making her feel like the coolest kid in the world.
Tyler Mahoney, a gold prospector from Western Australia, comes from a long line of prospectors. She recently found a five-ounce nugget which is her largest discovery to date. However, her most profitable find was an ironstone load she uncovered a few years ago. According to Mahoney, an ironstone load is where the gold forms in ironstone, and nuggets break away from it. She found an ironstone load in the desert that had around $100,000 worth of gold finds in it, which was a thrilling experience for her.
Mahoney, who also appears on the reality TV show Gold Rush on the Discovery Channel, warns that making a living as a full-time prospector is no easy task in today’s world. She credits her family and her background in generational prospecting for her ability to survive as a full-time gold prospector.
Tyler Mahoney acknowledges that progress has been made for female miners, but highlights the ongoing challenges of working in a predominantly male industry. Mahoney mentioned that various factors have made the search for gold more difficult than before.
Mining companies currently hold most of the power and the best land for mining, making it extremely challenging to secure good ground for prospecting. The days of easily finding surface gold, like during the gold rush over 150 years ago or the second rush when metal detectors came into play, are long gone. Nowadays, finding gold requires machinery and hard work, unlike the more relaxed and easier prospecting days as described by my parents who were full-time gold prospectors two decades ago.
Tyler Mahoney’s most significant discovery to date is a gold nugget weighing five ounces, as shared on her Instagram account. In her book titled “Gold Digger: Chasing the Motherlode in a Man’s World,” Mahoney discusses the obstacles she faced as a woman pursuing a career in the traditionally male-dominated mining industry, despite the increasing number of females joining the field. Mahoney has been conscious of the prevalent casual sexism in mining since her early days.
Mahoney witnessed the unequal treatment of her mother and father firsthand. Despite her mom being a more skilled prospector than her dad, people always turned to him for advice. This made her realize the lack of respect her mother received compared to her dad. Even in her own experiences, she noticed that her younger brother would automatically receive more respect than her, despite her seniority and experience.
Despite these challenges, Mahoney remains hopeful that change is on the horizon. She believes in the importance of women advocating for their place in male-dominated industries like mining. She encourages women interested in mining to pursue their goals and take advantage of the numerous opportunities available in the field.
