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Widgiemooltha on the East-West Highway is near the old 1800s Horseman’s Gully alluvial goldfield site and other mines worked in the area. Cobb & Co coaches once changed horses here on the Coolgardi to Norseman run.
In 1930 a few nuggets were found near Widgiemooltha sparking Western Australia's last great gold rush and the famous gold nugget, the Golden Eagle was found.
Today Widgiemooltha is in the heart of gold and nickel country and numerous mines are in operation.
THE GOLDEN EAGLE
Times were tough during the 1930’s depression years, so unearthing a massive 38.4kg nugget was double the thrill. Jim Larcombe and his 17 year year old son Jimmie were prospecting on an abandoned patch at Larkinville, near Widgiemooltha. Jimmie had dug down about half a metre when his pick hit something solid. On prizing it out of the ground, “he let out a terrific yell and the diggers quickly ran to the spot to see the lad staggering about with a massive slab of gold in his arms.”
The men checked its weight on a pole with a large bag of sugar on the other end and the gold was heavier. It was the biggest nugget ever found in WA and they called it the Golden Eagle as it resembled an eagle in flight. Word spread quickly and men flocked to Larkinville. In a short time over 1,000 men were on the field. Several reefs were uncovered and some found nuggets and slugs, but nothing compared to the Golden Eagle. It still holds the record today.
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