When Jen Walsh first tried her luck with a metal detector, she had little knowledge about gold. Most of what she knew came from her favorite TV show, Aussie Gold Hunters on Foxtel. This popular reality series motivated the 49-year-old to rent a metal detector during a weekend camping trip to Maryborough, a quaint town located north of Ballarat in Victoria’s gold-rich region.
Jen Walsh, along with her impressive 52 grams of gold unearthed just last month, shared her exciting find on the Facebook page called Chicks with Picks. Venturing off the beaten path, she stumbled upon a tiny speck of gold that triggered an intense adrenaline rush unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Walsh described the feeling as being consumed by gold fever, a sensation that truly captivated her.
The initial taste of success completely transformed Walsh’s life.
She decided to leave her job as a learning support teacher in Melbourne and pursue a career as a full-time gold prospector in Maryborough.
The transition was daunting, as she was struggling with her mental health in Melbourne and knew no one in her new town five years ago.
Walsh also faced challenges as a newcomer in the world of prospecting, encountering various learning curves.
The terminology used by experienced prospectors initially confused her, with terms like ground noise and reefs leaving her feeling overwhelmed.
She felt like she was in a completely different world, unable to understand even the simplest of conversations.
Jen Walsh established the community Chicks With Picks to provide guidance and encouragement to other women interested in prospecting. When she first started, Walsh admitted feeling a bit overwhelmed in the mostly male-dominated field. She recalled seeking advice on potential gold prospecting spots, only to be misled by others who kept their favorite locations a secret. However, as time passed, Walsh found acceptance and tranquility in the natural beauty of the Australian bush. She described the feeling of being supported by Mother Nature and appreciating the empowerment of making her own decisions in the wilderness.
Despite not striking it rich with any large nuggets yet, Walsh has had success in finding significant amounts of smaller pieces of gold. In today’s market, even these smaller pieces can bring in a good income. In fact, the gold she discovers has become her primary source of revenue, with her latest find of 52 grams fetching $5000. However, what she values most from her prospecting journey are the friendships and bonds she has formed within the gold-hunting community.
Motivated by her own challenging experiences, Walsh founded Chicks With Picks three years ago to offer support and connections for other female prospectors. The group organizes regular gold prospecting events and has amassed nearly 6000 followers on its Facebook page.
Men and women gather regularly to participate in prospecting events organized by Jen Walsh’s Chicks with Picks group. According to Walsh, it’s not just about finding gold, but also about building friendships. The group consists of people from diverse backgrounds, forming a tight-knit bond that Walsh refers to as her “golden family”. The group has grown beyond her expectations.
Tyler Mahoney, a 26-year-old fourth-generation miner, spends her time hunting for gold in the Kalgoorlie region of the Western Australian outback. Mahoney recalls accompanying her parents on prospecting trips since she was a young child. She fondly remembers playing a game with her parents where they would mark spots in the bush where they believed gold could be found. When her mother found gold in a spot she had suggested, Mahoney felt like the coolest kid on the planet.
Tyler Mahoney, a gold prospector from Western Australia, comes from a long line of gold hunters. Her most significant discovery to date is a five-ounce nugget, but it was an ironstone load she unearthed a while back that turned out to be the most profitable find. Mahoney explains that an ironstone load is essentially where gold is formed in ironstone, and nuggets break away from it. The load she found in the desert contained about $100,000 worth of gold finds, which was a thrilling moment for her.
Despite her success, Mahoney acknowledges the challenges of making a living as a full-time prospector nowadays. She credits her family’s experience and background in prospecting for enabling her to survive in this profession. Mahoney, who also appears on the Discovery Channel’s show Gold Rush, emphasizes that without her family’s support and her generational knowledge, it would be extremely difficult to sustain a career solely as a gold prospector.
According to Tyler Mahoney, although there have been improvements for female miners, there are still obstacles to overcome in a predominantly male industry. She mentioned that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find gold due to a variety of factors.
Mining companies dominate the industry with their access to prime land, making it extremely challenging to secure good ground nowadays. The heyday of the gold rush happened over a century ago, but there was a resurgence when metal detectors came into play. Unearthing surface gold is now a tough task, machinery is a must-have. My folks would tell you that being a full-time gold prospector two decades back was a dream job – laid-back and gold was easy to come by. Fast forward to today, it’s a whole different story – prospecting for gold is no walk in the park anymore.
One of Tyler Mahoney’s impressive finds weighed in at a hefty five ounces, as shared on her Instagram account. In her book entitled “Gold Digger: Chasing the Motherlode in a Man’s World,” Mahoney discusses the obstacles she faced as a woman entering the traditionally male-dominated mining industry. Despite more women entering the field, Mahoney still encountered challenges due to the prevalent casual sexism within the mining industry, something she had been familiar with since a young age.
“Watching how differently my mom and dad were treated, I realized that my mom is actually a better prospector than my dad. Despite this, everyone would always turn to my dad for advice and support, assuming he had more knowledge. I noticed that my mom wasn’t given the same level of respect as my dad, which was disheartening.
Even in my own experiences, I saw that my younger brother would automatically receive respect in certain situations, even though I was older and more experienced. I always felt like I had to work harder to earn that respect.
Thankfully, Mahoney noted that things are slowly changing for the better. She believes that women need to continue fighting for their place in male-dominated industries like mining. She encourages any woman interested in mining to pursue the opportunities available, as the industry has so much to offer.”
