Widgiemooltha, Western Australia

{{Short description|Abandoned town in Western Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}}

{{Infobox Australian place | type = town

| name = Widgiemooltha

| state = wa

| image = File:Widgiemooltha, Western Australia, 28 September 1930.jpg

| caption = Widgiemooltha in 1930

| lga = Shire of Coolgardie

| local_map = yes

| zoom = 8

| coordinates = {{coord|31.50|S|121.58|E|display=inline,title}}

| postcode = 6443

| est = 1897

| pop =

| area = {{cvt |input=P2046}}

| elevation= 374

| maxtemp =

| mintemp =

| rainfall =

| stategov = Eyre

| fedgov = O'Connor

| dist1 = 631

| dir1 = east

| location1= Perth

| dist2 = 41

| dir2 = south

| location2= Kambalda

| dist3 =

| dir3 =

| location3=

}}

Widgiemooltha is an abandoned town in Western Australia {{convert|631|km|mi|0}} east of Perth, Western Australia between Kambalda and Norseman in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It is found on the southern shoreline of Lake Lefroy.{{cite web|url=https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/12218/Rec1968_106.pdf|title=Government Members Mining and National Development Committees Fact Finding Tour July 21st-28th 1968|year=1968|access-date=3 September 2016|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia}}

The location of the original townsite is on Kingswood Street, which runs at the rear of the Widgiemooltha Roadhouse. The Coolgardie-Esperance Hwy now bypasses the original townsite. In August 2015, the only evidence of the original township was the remains of the hotel.

In the 1890s gold was discovered in the area and the townsite was gazetted in 1897 as Widgemooltha, the spelling being amended to the current form in 1944.

{{LandInfo WA|c|W|26 January 2011}} It had also been referred to as Widgiemoultha.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163904559 |title=Widgiemoultha notes. |newspaper=The Norseman Pioneer |volume=1 |issue=31 |location=Western Australia |date=15 August 1896 |accessdate=19 July 2023 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1898 the town had a population of 112 (100 males and 12 females).{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33153441 |title=Population of Western Australia |newspaper=Western Mail |location=Perth, WA |date=22 April 1898 |access-date=16 February 2013 |page=23 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

The name of the town is Aboriginal in origin and is thought to be the name of a nearby hill and rock-hole. It is thought to be related to the beak of an emu.

The goldfields around the area were home to the Golden Eagle nugget, which was found in 1931 by Jim Larcombe. It weighed {{convert|1136|oz|kg}}, the biggest nugget found in the history of Western Australian goldfields.{{cite web|url= http://www.australianexplorer.com/widgiemooltha.htm |title=Australian Explorer - Widgiemooltha |year=2006|access-date=27 January 2011}} The find sparked a gold fever and shortly afterward 1,000 men were working the field unearthing other reefs and nuggets.{{cite web|url=http://www.exploringaustralia.com.au/showplace.php?s=eyre&p=574|title=Tourist information- Sea to Outback - Widgiemooltha |year=2006|access-date=27 January 2011}}

In 1956, Widgiemooltha had a small population. These included railway fettlers and their families (there were 4 fettler families, complete with children), Listers' Salt Works (now WA Salt Supply) employees, a schoolteacher, a shopkeeper and a few hotel staff.

Gold and nickel continue to be mined in the area.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/06/14/1391366.htm?site=news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210170804/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/06/14/1391366.htm?site=news|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2011|title=ABC News - Miners looks to combined gold-nickel benefir|year=2006|access-date=27 January 2011}}