Coolgardie

On September 17, 1892, Arthur Bayley rode into Southern Cross with 554 ounces of gold that he and his partner, William Ford, had found at an area called Fly Flat, 120 miles to the east of that town. Within hours of the pair registering their claim a frenzied rush began for Coolgardie, starting the biggest movement of people in Australian history.

Just six months later there were thousands of people living in tents on the Goldfields and the population of Western Australia had increased by 400%. Given the distance from Perth, the conditions of transportation and negotiable roadways, the droves of people travelled the 550 kilometres any way they could, by bicycle, dray, horse, or walking - carrying their belongings on their backs. However, while some found gold, many only found hardship, sickness and death as the booming settlement suffered the associated rigours of inadequate housing, fresh water, food and medical supplies and attention.

Within a decade Coolgardie became WA's third largest town with a population of 16,000 and many more thousands living in areas surrounding the township. This extraordinary development was the impetus for the development of the Goldfields Water Scheme and the Eastern Goldfields Railway, two factors which were vital in the economic and social development of the Eastern Goldfields. While the surface gold ran out and the original mine, Bayley's Reward, closed in 1963, Coolgardie has retained many of its magnificent buildings associated with its rich and colourful past. Today it offers tourists a fabulous heritage precinct.



There is plenty to see and do in and around Coolgardie and visitors should allow at least a day to ensure they don't miss the Goldfields Exhibition Museum, the Railway Museum, Warden Finnerty's Residence, the Pioneer and Coolgardie Cemeteries, Ben Prior's Park, and a walk along Bayley Street to view the heritage architecture. Then there are a multitude of day trips such as the Cave Hill Nature Reserve (as above); Burra Rocks 55 kilometres south of Coolgardie; Mt Burgess; the Gorge featuring remains of an extinct volcano; the Kunanalling Hotel ruins 42 kilometres north; 75 kilometres to the south is Widgiemooltha's Larkinville Mine where the largest gold nugget ever found in WA was discovered in 1931; Victoria Rock; Rowles Lagoon approximately 65 kilometres north; and Jack Carins' Camp - where prospector Jack Carins lived in isolation for 30 years.