People & Places
Prospecting in Kalgoorlie
Jo-ann Hodgson explains why the Western Australian town of Kalgoorlie is just as rich in social history as it is in the gold
Home to what is considered the richest square mile of earth on the planet, Kalgoorlie in Western Australia is just as rich in social history and is a popular tourist destination with those looking to learn a little about Australia's past and present. Eighteen ninety three was the year that made Kalgoorlie, with the discovery of gold in the area by three Irish prospectors; Patrick Hannan, Tom Flanagan and Dan O'Shea. On June 17, 1893, Hannan filed a Reward Claim, which lead to hundreds of men descending on the area in search of gold and jobs. Within days of the discovery of gold nuggets, 700 diggers were pegging out mining claims around the town and by 1903 Kalgoorlie boasted a population of 30,000, as well as 93 hotels and eight breweries to serve them. The mining of gold and other metals, such as nickel, has defined the town ever since and the concentrated area of large gold mines surrounding Hannan street (named after the Irish prospector) is considered by some to be the richest square mile of earth anywhere in the world.
The Super Pit, an opencut gold mine approximately 3.5 kilometres long, 1.5 kilometres wide and 360 metres deep, still operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and blasts at 1pm nearly every day, dependent on weather conditions. A visitor centre overlooking the pit gives a great view and history of the mine, which is expected to remain in service until around 2017, after which time it will be abandoned and allowed to fill with groundwater, which will take about 50 years. Other tourist draws in Kalgoorlie, which amalgamated with the shire of Boulder in 1989, include the Western Australia Museum of Kalgoorlie in Boulder, the area's historic federation buildings and Boulder's Town Hall.
The Kalgoorlie Boulder
Goldfields, located at the top of Hannan Street, the town's main thoroughfare, is marked by the massive headframe from the Old Ivanhoe mine and is hard to miss. Entry is by donation and inside the museum, visitors can enjoy displays of restored miner's cottages, a chunk of Mundrbilla meteorite, union tapestries, early federation period jewellery pieces, a collection of gold nuggets, and an extensive photographic collection charting the town's early social history. The British Arms Hotel, said to be the smallest pub in Australia, is also located within the museum. Dotted throughout Kalgoorlie, a host of old miner's cottages, heritage buildings dating back from Australia's federation period in the late 1890s to early 1900s and lovingly restored hotels, also prove interesting to social culture vultures. Hannan Street boasts important old buildings such as the exchange Hotel, Palace Hotel, the Old Australian Hotel and the York Hotel. Hay Street is also home to a number of historical buildings, all be them more infamous than famous. The street, named after Hay Street in Perth, was once known for its brothels, one of which has been turned into a museum.
In Boulder's Town Hall visitors can admire ornately pressed tin ceilings and wrought iron balaustrading, as well as what is said to be the last surviving stage curtain painted by the world famous theatre artist Phillip Goatcher, which is on display every Wednesday between 10am and 3pm. With a dry climate, benefiting from hot summers and cool winters, Kalgoorlie thrives as a centre of industrial activity, as well as a popular tourist honeypot throughout the year and 25 historical hotels and pubs still serve the local and passing community. January is the hottest month, with an average maximum temperature of 33.6oC, and July the coolest, although minimum temperatures still only reach 4.8oC.
The town is also very well served by many forms of transport, including bus, rail and air services, linking the town to Perth, the eastern states, Esperance and other areas of south-western Australia. Both Qantas and Skywest operate in and out of Kalgoorlie.
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