‘Do you see it?’: $2500 gold nugget hidden in plain sight

A young prospector has found a gold nugget worth thousands hiding in plain sight in the Australian Outback.

A young prospector has found a gold nugget worth approximately $2500 hiding in plain sight in the red soil of the Western Australian Outback.

Tyler Mahoney, renowned for her appearances on the reality TV show Gold Rush, shared a video showcasing the discovery made by her father on their family’s gold mining tenement near Kalgoorlie last Friday morning.

The precious nugget didn’t gleam through the dirt, as one would expect, and is hard to spot in the footage, encrusted in layers of red soil.

A young prospector found a $2500 gold nugget in the Western Australian Outback. Picture: Tyler Mahoney

Can you see it? Picture: Tyler Mahoney

The find is an alluvial gold nugget, meaning it gradually surfaced from its original deposit over thousands of years.

Mahoney, who has gained notoriety for breaking the mould of a typical Australian prospector, expressed her excitement, saying, “So my Dad made $2500 before breakfast. How good is Australian gold?”

The 27-year-old prospector, recently an author of the book Gold Digger, recounted her childhood exploring the desert with her family before returning to her true calling in gold mining.

The nugget was an alluvial gold nugget, meaning it surfaced gradually over thousands of years. Picture: Tyler Mahoney

‘$2500 before breakfast.’ Picture: Tyler Mahoney

In her memoir, Mahoney sheds light on the male-dominated gold mining industry, describing rampant discrimination and workplace sexual harassment.

She noted, “It’s even more exciting when it’s your income, and you’re only making as much as you’re finding.”

Mahoney’s most significant find to date was a 5-ounce nugget (about 140g), but she also uncovered an ironstone lode yielding ten times that weight.

In an industry where income is not fixed but dependent on daily discoveries, Mahoney pointed out, “Some days it’s baked beans, and some days it’s lobster.”

The TV personality has previously emphasised that while the stereotype of a prospector often involves an older man with a beard, her experience challenges such preconceptions.

The prospector, Tyler Mahoney, is known for her appearances on the reality TV show Gold Rush. Picture: Tyler Mahoney

“I think people having this image in their mind isn’t inherently sexist, as it is normally how prospectors look, but how they treat me after meeting me is what is telling,” she stated.

Mahoney underscored that gender equality remains a distant goal in the gold mining industry.

“As a woman, it is very hard to get a place at the table, and then when you’re at the table, it’s bloody hard to be respected and heard,” she lamented while recalling instances of discrimination and harassment.

Mahoney’s family has a rich history of prospecting, spanning four generations.

Her great-grandfather Ned’s discoveries earned him a prominent patch of productive ground on the Murchison goldfields of Western Australia named after him.

Mahoney’s family has a rich history of prospecting spanning four generations. Picture: Supplied

She credits her grandmother Nola, who loved prospecting in a time when few women did, for paving the way for her.

Although Mahoney initially pursued modelling and jewellery design in Melbourne, she eventually returned to the goldfields, realising that gold prospecting was her calling.

Now, she works alongside her parents and brother on tenements outside of Kalgoorlie, using metal detectors, conducting research, exploration, panning, testing, and processing.

“It is physically demanding work,” Mahoney said, citing the harsh outback conditions as a challenge.

Mahoney detailed her life and adventures in her book Gold Digger.

“The biggest danger would be the remoteness – you can’t really muck up because help isn’t always a phone call away.”

Mahoney also runs The Prospectors Club, a business providing resources for those interested in the industry.

She also hosts a podcast called Let’s Unpack That, where she shares her mental health journey and insights into bipolar disorder.

For aspiring prospectors, Mahoney stresses that gold mining is no easy path to wealth in today’s world.

“You have to be really on top of your game to make it work,” she concluded, emphasising the enduring allure of the gold mining world she calls home.

Originally published as ‘Do you see it?’: $2500 gold nugget hidden in plain sight