Kalgoorlie Population 26,813
Kalgoorlie is situated in semi-desert area, 597 km (371 miles) east of
Perth, at the terminus of the Great Eastern Highway.
Climate
Average temperatures: January max 34C (93F) - min 18C (64F); July max 17C
(63F) - min 6C (43F). Average annual rainfall: 263mm (10 ins).
Characteristics
Situated in an area named for gold and riddled with reminders of its presence,
Kalgoorlie-Boulder's association with the precious metal stands out. Not
for this twin centre the boom, bust and quick extinction into a ghost town,
nor any lingering on amongst remnants of former glory. The towns are as
busy as ever, and stand next to what was once the richest square mile of
gold-bearing earth in the world. And although nearly a century of mining
has seen a thousand million dollars worth of gold removed, there is plenty
left yet.
Echoes of the boisterous past can still be seen, particularly in Hannan
Street, Kalgoorlie, and Burt Street, Boulder.
How to Get There By Bus
Greyhound Pioneer operate daily services through Kalgoorlie.
By Rail
The Prospector leaves Perth Sun-Fri, and an interstate train leaves five
evenings a week.
By Road
From Perth, travel straight along the Great Eastern Highway to Kalgoorlie.
Tourist Information
The Kalgoorlie-Boulder Tourist Centre is at 250 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie,
(08) 9021 1966 or 1800 00 1880 (toll free). They are hopen 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri
and 9am-5pm on weekends. If you have online access, visit www.kal goorlieandwagoldfields.com.au
for a preliminary peek or drop them a message at kbtc@emerge.net.au
Accommodation
There is quite a range of accommodation to choose from, and the Tourist
Offices have a complete list. Here we have a selection, with prices for
a double room per night, which should be used as a guide only. &The
telephone area code is 08.
Hospitality Inn Kalgoorlie, 560 Hannan Street, 9021 2888. 56 units, licensed
restaurant, swimming pool, bbq $115-145.
Midas Motel, 409 Hannan Street, 9021 3088. 49 units, licensed restaurant,
swimming pool, spa, sauna $110-135.
Mercure Hotel Plaza Kalgoorlie, 45 Egan Street, 9021 4544. 100 units, licensed
restaurant, swimming pool $130-260.
Mercure Inn Overland Kalgoorlie, Hannan Street, 9021 1433. 87 units, licensed
restaurant, swimming pool $68.
Tower Hotel, cnr Bourke & Maritana Streets, 9021 3211. 33 units, licensed
restaurant, swimming pool, spa, sauna $75-105.
Star & Garter, 497 Hannan St, 9026 3399. 28 units, licensed restaurant,
swimming pool $85.
Hannan's View Motel, 430 Hannan St, 9091 3333. 65 units, unlicensed restaurant
$110-160.
Shamrock Motor Lodge, cnr Lane & Piesse Streets, Boulder, 9093 1399.
37 units, licensed restaurant, swimming pool, spa, sauna $85.
Piccadilly Hotel, 164 Piccadilly Street, 9021 2109. 19 rooms (private facilities)
$40.
Caravan Parks
Goldminer Tourist Caravan Park, Great Eastern Highway, 9021 3713. (No pets
allowed) - powered sites $17 for two, on-site vans $44 for two.
Prospector Holiday Park, Lower Hannan Street, Great Eastern Highway, 9021
2524. (No pets allowed) - powered sites $20-21 for two, cabins $60-90 for
two.
Boulder Village Caravan Park, Lane Street, Boulder, 9093 1266. (No pets
allowed) - powered sites $20 for two, chalets $75-85 for two, cabins $75-85
for two.
Kalgoorlie Accommodation Village, Burt Street, Boulder, 9039 4800. (No
pets allowed) - powered sites $20 for two, chalets $77-83 for two, cabins
$75-85 for two.
Eating Out
Most of the hotels and motels have restaurants, and there are plenty of
takeaway food outlets. Here are a few restaurants you might like to try.
Amalfi, 409 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, 9021 3088.
Amy's, 1 MacDonald Street, Kalgoorlie, 9021 1749.
Top End Thai Restaurant, 71 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, 9021 4286.
Fu-Wah Chinese Restaurant, Shop 6, Woolworths Plaza, Wilson Street, Kalgoorlie,
9021 6242.
Mangia Bene Italian Restaurant & Takeaway, Lammington Square, Shop
1 Maritana Street, Kalgoorlie, 9021 3553.
Inland City Garden Restaurant, 93 Forrest Street, Kalgoorlie, 9021 2401.
Crock Pot Bar & Restaurant, Shop 10/89 Graeme Street, Kalgoorlie, 9021
2997.
Cornwall Historic Restaurant, 25 Hopkins Street, Boulder, 9093 2510.
Wah On Restaurant, 110 Burt Street, Boulder, 9093 108.
Points of Interest
In June, 1893, three Irishmen, Patrick Hannan, Tom Flannigan and Daniel
Shea, discovered gold near Mt Charlotte. Two other prospectors soon located
further large gold deposits three miles to the south - the world famous
'Golden Mile'.
The goldrush this sparked was staggering in size and speed. Men came in
thousands from all over the world, ready to live in improvised shacks in
a waterless near-desert. Hundreds of mining companies were floated to speculate
on the rich reefs, and many of them were fraudulent.
A railway and five civic buildings sprung up in no time, but water seemed
to be an insoluble problem, until C.Y. O'Connor devised the Goldfields
Water Scheme. This consisted of building a 563km (350 miles) pipeline from
a reservoir near Perth, which was a resounding success, but the criticism
it received during the construction process caused O'Connor to shoot himself,
so he never saw his dream realised. Gold production reached a peak in 1903,
and then declined until the Depression of the 1930s, when world prices
increased dramatically.
In 1931, the State's richest nugget was found and named 'The Golden Eagle'.
It weighed an incredible 32,177g (1,135 ounces).
The Golden Mile is now managed as a whole for the first time in its history,
which should lead to more efficient and longer-lasting exploitation of
the gold reserves.
In the late 1890s, the Golden Mile Loop Line was the busiest and best paying
in the colony. Over 60 passenger and goods trains passed through Boulder
City Station on weekdays, 33 on Saturdays and 27 on Sundays. The locomotives
used in those days were N class, and were worked extremely hard. Today
the Railway is run by the Golden Mile Loopline Railway Society Inc, a voluntary
group formed to make sure that the line remains open. Visitors are able
to re-live some of the past events of the area while they 'Ride the Rattler',
travelling over some of the Golden Mile pulled by a Wickham Track Inspection
vehicle or Z1153, a jetty shunting locomotive. A full recorded commentary
is played so that every feature is explained as you pass.
Regular tours depart from Boulder Railway Station during hweekdays and
Sundays at 11am, and also on Sundays and public holidays they depart at
1.30pm and 3pm. During school holidays, extra trains run, and further enquiries
can be made at the Tourist Bureau, or (08) 9021 1966.
Mining Hall of Fame, Goldfields Highway, 9026 2700, is one of Australia's most unusual tourist attractions and provides a unique chance for the whole family to go underground in a real gold mine in safety. It is essential to wear enclosed footwear, and children under 3 are not permitted on underground tours. You can pan for gold and watch a real gold pour. The doors open at 9am and the last tour starts at 2.45pm.
Underground Tours last 1 hour starting at 10.00am. Tours run throughout the day at 10am, 12.15 and 2.45pm. Gold Pour Demonstrations last half an hour and are held at 11am, 1.30 and 3.45pm.
The Mining Hall of Fame building houses a range of galleries with both permanent and travelling exhibitions. Also available is the interactive Exploration Zone for kids from 5 to 105. Take some time to wander around the Historic Precinct, browse in our gift shop with its unique goldfields merchandise or relax over coffee or lunch in the Discovery Café. We recommend that you spend at least 3 hours at the Mining Hall of Fame to fully appreciate what we have to offer.
Western Australian Museum, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, 17 Hannan Street, 9021
8533, is hopen daily 10.30am-4.30pm. The building was formerly the British
Arms Hotel, the narrowest hotel in Australia. On display are the developments
in the search of gold and aspects of domestic life at the turn of the century.
Mt Charlotte Reservoir holds Kalgoorlie's permanent fresh water supply,
which comes by pipeline from the weir at Mundaring in the Darling Range.
In January, 1903, Sir John Forrest, explorer and Premier of WA, turned
on the water at the Mt Charlotte reservoir, and the town went wild. At
the official banquet that night, Sir George Reid said that he had never
heard so much talk about water, and seen so little of it consumed. From
the lookout at the Reservoir there is a good view of the town.
Paddy Hannan's Statue, in Hannan Street, is a replica of the original within
the Town Hall. It shows a life-sized Paddy, holding his waterbag.
In a fenced area, near the head of Hannan Street, is a kurrajong tree and
a plaque marking the place where Paddy Hannan first found gold.
Kalgoorlie Town Hall was built in 1908, and has a fine stamped metal ceiling
and Victorian style cast seats on the balcony. On the first floor is the
Art Collection, hopen Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
The Royal Flying Doctor Base, north of the main city area of Kalgoorlie,
has conducted tours hcommencing at 2.30pm each weekday. No admission fee
is charged, but donations are welcome.
Lord Forrest Olympic Pool and Water Slide is on the corner of MacDonald
and Cassidy Streets, and was WA's first Olympic Pool. It was built in 1938,
using water from the pipeline. The park nearby has shady trees, a statue
of C.Y. O'Connor, and a fountain.
The Boulder Block, back in 1905, was a thriving business centre with 6
hotels which served liquor around the clock to cater for miners on shift
work. The area is only 0.5ha (1.2 acres), which makes it hard to imagine.
Boulder Town Hall in Burt Street, was built in 1908, and has a distinctive
clock tower.
The Golden Mile Art Exhibition is in the upstairs gallery at the Boulder
Town Hall. It is a permanent exhibition with works by local artists. Visitors
are welcome, and arrangements can be made by phoning 9093 3283.
The Cornwall Hotel, probably the most picturesque in the area, was built
in 1898 and is in vintage condition. It photographs well.
The Goldfields War Museum is in Burt Street, Boulder. It is hopen Mon-Fri
10am-4pm.
The Eastern Goldfields Historical Society Museum is in the Boulder City
Railway Station. Its hhours of opening are: Mon-Sat 10.30am-12.30pm, Sun
10am-4pm, 9093 3360.
Hammond Park, Lyall Street, Lamington, is a flora and fauna reserve with
a lake, a rustic bridge and a miniature castle made from local stone. There
is a grass picnic area with barbecue facilities, and tame emus and kangaroos
roam amongst the picnickers. The park is hopen daily 9am-5.30pm.
Seven kilometres north of Kalgoorlie is Australia's only legalised Bush
Two-up School, and business hbegins at around 1.30 each afternoon, except
on the miners' pay day when the horse races are held in town. For the inexperienced,
two-up is a very easy game to learn, and is an easy way to lose money very
quickly. We can only suggest that you watch for a while before making a
bet, and be careful what you say, as the game has a language of its own
and you could find yourself called in as the spinner (person who tosses
the coins). By the way, the miners get paid every second Friday - check
with the Tourist Centre, 9021 2180.
About 18km (11 miles) north-east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is what is left
of the township of Kanowna. In 1905 the town had a population of 12,000
with 16 hotels, two breweries and an hourly train service to Kalgoorlie.
Now there are tourist markers.
Since you are in gold territory, you might decide to try your luck at fossicking.
It's a good idea, but make sure you have a Miner's Right first. You can
pick one up at the Mines Department on Brookman Street.
Goldrush Tours offer a variety of coach tours in the area, including the
Ghost Town Tour, which hdeparts from the Palace Chambers in Maritana Street,
every Thursday at 10.45am. For information and bookings phone (08) 9021
2954 or 1800 620 440 (freecall).
Kurrawang Emu Farm, 9021 2845, provides you with an opportunity to come
face to face with their big birds. It can be found on the Great Eastern
Highway, 18km west of Kalgoorlie.
Other tours further afield are available, and the Tourist Information Centre
have all the information, and can make bookings.
Festivals
The Kalgoorlie Racing Round is held in September.
The Community Fair is held each March in the Cruickshank Sports Arena.
Facilities
There are two golf clubs in the suburb of Hannan; lawn bowls at Kalgoorlie
Bowling Club, cnr Maritana & Forrest Streets; swimming and water polo
at the Lord Forrest Olympic Pool; motor sports at the 12ha (30 acres) complex
near the airport; and gliding, tennis and other sports can be arranged
through the Tourist Information Centres.
Outlying Attractions Coolgardie
The town was built to accommodate 15,000 people, and the present population
is 2000, so Coolgardie can be regarded as the best-cared-for ghost town
in Australia. It is situated 45km (28 miles) west of Kalgoorlie, on the
site of a reef of rich gold, found by Arthur Bayley in 1892, and called
'Bayley's Reward'. By 1900, the town had hotels, smithies, barbers, newspaper
offices, stores, and 15,000 people. 'Bayley's Reward' continued to produce
gold until 1963, but the town's boom time was really over by 1914 when
World War I saw the prospectors volunteer for service.
The Coolgardie Tourist Bureau & Goldfields Exhibition is at 62 Bayley
Street, (08) 9026 6090, and is open daily. There are a series of historical
markers around the township, documenting the history of Coolgardie, with
photographs of what each site looked like in times gone by. It is fascinating
to compare the photos with what is now in front of you.
Attractions in the town include: The Goldfields Exhibition in the same
building as the Tourist Bureau, hopen daily 8am-5pm with daily screenings
of the BBC film Gold Fever.
The Railway Station Museum, in Woodwood Street, hopen daily 8am-5pm 9026
6388.
Lions' Bicentennial Lookout, 2km from the main street where Bayley's South
Headframe is found. Ben Prior's Open Air Museum in Bayley Street, is dedicated
to WA's early explorers and the pioneers of the goldfields.
Bottle and Curio Museum, in the Exhibition Building, hopen daily 8am-5pm.
Warden Finnerty's Residence, built in 1895 at a cost of 2,800 pounds, and
now owned by the National Trust. It is hopen Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat 1-4pm, Sun
10am-noon, 1-4pm.
The Old Pioneer Cemetery, at the end of Forrest Street near the oval, has
graves dating from 1892 to 1894.
Coolgardie Camel Farm, 9026 6159, is about 4km west of Coolgardie, and
is hopen daily 9am-5pm, with rides available ranging from around the yard
in the farm, to overnight camel treks. Incidentally, the reason that the
streets of Coolgardie are so wide is because there had to be room to turn
camel trains. You can ask at the farm why they didn't just reverse them.
If all the talk about gold, and people making their fortunes, has sparked
a small case of gold fever, you can hire gold detectors and other equipment
at the Railway Lodge, 9026 6166. Some people have been lucky! Tours of
the area are available, and they include sightseeing, gold panning and
detecting, and wildflowers in season. Contact the Tourist Bureau for information
and bookings.
Menzies
Named after L.R. Menzies, one of the men who discovered gold in the vicinity
in 1894, Menzies is another town that has declined. Within months of gold
being found the population was 10,000, within thirteen years it had dropped
to 1000, now it is home to 110.
The town is 132km (82 miles) north of Kalgoorlie, and many buildings from
its heyday remain, including the town hall and the railway station. The
Menzies State Battery for processing gold is the most modern in Australia,
and visitors are welcome.
Leonora
Situated 237km (147 miles) north of Kalgoorlie, Leonora is a railhead for
nearby copper and nickel mines, and the meeting point of the roads radiating
north, south and east. It is the administrative town of the North Eastern
Goldfields, and the centre of a wool growing area.
Attractions include:
Mt Leonora was first named by the explorer John Forrest in 1869, and rises
100m (328 ft) above the town, so is the best place to get an overall view.
The Sons of Gwalia Goldmine ran continuously for 67 years, and was the
largest underground mine outside the Golden Mile. It closed in 1963, and
the town of Gwalia died as a result. However, recent technological advances
have resulted in lower production costs, and the mine has re-opened, as
have some others in the area. A visit is worthwhile, and it is best to
allow about half an hour to explore. In the mine office is the Gwalia
Museum, with artefacts from the early days of mining in the areas. The
ghost town of Gwalia is also worth a visit. The town was never officially
gazetted, due to its tendency to flood, so it just grew like Topsy, with
buildings mostly of galvanised iron. It is hard to imagine now, but the
town was once so prosperous that it had the State's first electric tram
service.
Situated 69km (43 miles) south-east of Leonora is the township of Kookynie
which had a population of 1500 in 1905, and now has 10, many of whom work
the local hotel, which in itself is worth a visit. There are many old workings
and tailings dumps for you to fossick through within a kilometre of the
hotel.
Niagara is about 10km (6 miles) from Kookynie, and is another ghost town,
with not much to see except for the Niagara Dam, built in 1897. The cement
for the 250m (820 ft) long wall was carried from Coolgardie by camels!
Laverton
Prospectors from Coolgardie found gold near the present town site in 1896,
and soon there was another boom town, apparently a very wild one. It is
reported that the only burial resulting from natural causes in the Burtville
Cemetery, which is 25km (16 miles) from Laverton, was that of a baby six
weeks old. Everyone else died with their boots on.
Laverton is 361km (224 miles) north-east of Kalgoorlie. The town died when
the surface gold ran out, but has been revitalised by the Windarra Nickel
Project, and it is the support base for the recently reopened Lancefield
Mine. Attractions include Billy Goat Hill which gives panoramic views,
Mt Windarra, from where there is a good view of the Windarra Nickel Mine,
and the Old Laverton Police Station & Gaol, built in 1900.
Ghost towns in the area include Burtville, Gladiator, Heffernans and Just
in Time. If you wish to explore all the ghost towns in the Goldfields area,
you would be wise to invest in a large-scale map from the Mines Department.
Leinster
This town was established in 1977 to service the nickel-mining industry,
and is the terminus of a sealed highway north from Kalgoorlie on the way
to Wiluna. It is 378km (254 miles) north-west of Kalgoorlie, and Skywest
have return flights to Leinster from Perth, 9037 0749.
The Leinster Recreation Association in Mansbridge Road, (08) 9037 9040,
can answer all your sightseeing and accommodation enquiries.
Attractions include the old towns of Agnew, Lawlers and Poison Creek.
Kambalda
Situated 57km (35 miles) south of Kalgoorlie, Kambalda is a nickel town
constructed by the Western Mining Corporation in the 1960s and 1970s. Originally,
of course, it was a gold town, the precious metal having been found in
1887 by Percy Larkin, but gold mining ceased around 1907. In 1954, George
Cowcill collected some specimens in the area that he thought contained
uranium, but analysis proved that it was nickel. In 1962, he and John Morgan
submitted the samples to the Western Mining Corporation, who decided to
drill several holes, which showed the presence of a massive deposit of
nickel sulphides.
The town has approximately 5000 people, and the Kambalda Tourist Bureau
is in Irish Mulga Drive, Kambalda West, (08) 9027 1446, hopen Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Attractions include: Red Hill Lookout in Gordon Adams Road; Lake Lefroy,
a large salt pan that rarely contains water; Hunts Well, a remnant of the
original gold town; Lion's Park, a picnic and barbecue spot with an olympic
swimming pool; John Hill Viewpoint, which has views over the concentrator,
powerhouse, workshops and distant headframes; King Battery on Woolibar
station where crushed ore was once turned into gold; and Pioneer Cemetery
where pioneer William Wenzel is buried.
Norseman
Known as Western Australia's 'Eastern Gateway', Norseman is 187km (116
miles) south of Coolgardie, 724km (450 miles) south-east of Perth, and
724km (450 miles) west of the Western Australia/South Australia border.
Goldfields Air Services have several flights weekly between Esperance and
Kalgoorlie via Norseman, and bus services from all capital cities pass
through Norseman.
Gold was discovered in the area in 1892, and many people settled in the
town which had grown out of the pastoral activity in the area. Two years
later, a horse named 'Norseman' stumbled over a large gold nugget, and
the town got its name. The horse's owner later discovered a rich gold reef
where his horse had 'turned the first sod'.
In 1905 the population was 3000, and in 1925, 300. The Central Norseman
Gold Corporation still mines one of the earliest finds in the area, which
is also the richest quartz reef in Australia. The population of the modern
town is 2500.
The Norseman Tourist Bureau is in Robert Street, (08) 9039 1071, and hopen
Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm. They can advise on accommodation and
sightseeing.
The Historical and Geological Museum, run by the Pensioners' League, has
among other things, the largest known piece of Skylab, the US satellite
that exploded over Western Australia. Beacon Hill Lookout, from where there
is a good view of the old mines, the chain of salt lakes, the gypsum hills
and the Jimberlana Dyke, is reputed to be one of the oldest geological
areas in the world.
Lady Miller Area, was one of the area's highest producing gold deposits,
but has not been worked since 1950. Many of the mines in the area are accessible
by car, and can easily be explored on foot. But it is warned that no attempt
should be made to venture underground, as many of the mine shafts are dangerous.
Ask the Tourist Bureau for information about all the old mines in the area.
The Salt Lakes are at their best at sunrise and sunset, and the gypsum
crystals which grow in the lakes are worth a close look. Again, care should
be taken to observe all warning signs of mining in progress, and do not
drive a vehicle on to the salt lakes. The Tourist Bureau can tell you of
the best location for the gypsum crystals.
Dundas Rocks are 22km (14 miles) south of Norseman off the Coolgardie-Esperance
Highway, and the formations are 550 million years old. There are good picnic
areas, and an old ghost town to explore. Bromus Dam is an old railway dam
on the road to Esperance, about 32km (20 miles) from Norseman, and is a
good spot for a picnic and a swim.
The Lone Grave, is an enigma on a spit of land on the far edge of Lake
Dundas. It belongs to "Stanley Arthur Whitehead, who died April 8th, 1897,
aged 7 months", and is the only sign that the area had at one time been
inhabited by man. Free tours of Central Norseman Corporation Gold Mining
Operations hleave the Tourist Bureau each weekday morning at 9.30am. They
last about two hours, and enquiries should be made at the Tourist Bureau.
If you want to try your luck at fossicking for Moss Agate, Moss Opalite,
Chrysophase and Jasper, obtain a permit from the Tourist Bureau. And, don't
forget you need a Miner's Right from the Mines Department, if you are going
to look for that piece of gold that everyone else has missed.
Esperance
Situated 369km (229 miles) south of Kalgoorlie, and 720km (447 miles) south-east
of Perth, Esperance is known as 'The Bay of Isles'. Skywest have daily
flights from Perth; a Westrail bus connects with the Prospector train from
Perth to Kalgoorlie; and there is a Westrail bus service from East Perth
three times weekly direct to Esperance.
The town's history began in 1627 when Pieter Nuyts, in command of the Dutch
East India Company vessel Gulde Zeepard, charted the coast and the Recherche
Archipelago, but did not land. The first to do that were men attached to
a French scientific mission which was under the command of Admiral D'Entrecasteaux,
whose ships sought shelter in a gale. The first ship to enter the bay was
L'Esperance, hence the name of the bay. The second ship was the Recherche,
hence the name of the Archipelago. The next 50 years saw visits by explorers
Flinders and Eyre, and sealers and whalers, who played merry hell with
the Aborigines.
In 1863, the Dempster brothers took up the first landholding in the area,
and other farmer settlers followed. The discovery of gold at Coolgardie
caused Esperance to become the port for the goldfields overnight, and this
it remained until the completion of the Perth to Coolgardie rail link.
Now the area is a major farming region with a town population of 8000,
and 11,000 people living in the Shire.
The Esperance Tourist Bureau and Travel Centre is in Dempster Street, (08)
9071 2330, and is hopen Mon-Fri 8.45am-5pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm. They have
information on the accommodation available, where to fish, the best place
to swim, or where to play golf, or any other sport.
Sightseeing attractions include:
Esperance Municipal Museum, between Dempster Street and the Esplanade,
hopen daily 1.30-4.30pm, 9071 1579.
The Public Library in Windich Street next to the Shire Council, hopen Mon
10.30am-6pm, Tues 11am-3pm, Wed-Fri 10.30am-6pm, Sat 9.30am-11.30am.
The Pink Lake, which should sometimes be called the Purple Lake.
Observatory Point & Lookout, where the two French frigates sheltered
from the storm in 1792.
The Dempster Charm Cottage, 9071 1413, built in 1867, and classified by
the National Trust.
National Parks in the area include Stokes, Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid.
Scenic flights are a perfect way to see magnificent coastal scenery, islands
and whales. Contact Esperance Air Service, 9071 1467.
