Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. A booming city, literally an oasis and hub of activity surrounded by sandy deserts. The reason for the city's existence is what lies beneath the rock and sand: GOLD! The largest open-cut gold mine lies here in what has become known as "The Golden Mile", one of the richest deposits of gold in the world.
The city of Kalgoorlie has a wonderful charm. We recommend visitors embrace the local culture with enthusiasm, as you can't miss the many pubs and friendly atmosphere which greets you. The wide streets and attractive age-old buildings give the city a wonderful charm.
Kalgoorlie is an inland town situated in the Goldfields area of Australia's Golden Outback tourist region. Kalgoorlie is at the site of Western Australia's first gold rush period of the 1870's. Situated on the major highway route to Australia's eastern states.
Use the controls on the map (slide up), to zoom in for a detailed view.
Museum Of The Goldfields
This museum features 2 floors of exhibits with an underground vault which contains spectacular gold nuggets and jewellery, the British Arms Hotel and also traditional miners cottages and stores. Ride the lift to the mine headframe viewing platform and be treated to a view of Kalgoorlie
Golden Mile Super Pit
Be amazed by the view of Australia's largest open-cut gold mine, where huge haul-paks look the size of small toys from viewing platforms. The pit is currently 290m deep, 1.5km wide and 4km long. The pit is so big it can be seen from space so try looking for it on Google Earth
Royal Flying Doctor Visitor Centre
Learn the history of this great Australian icon and the role that the service continues to play in today's society. The centre provides artifacts dating back the the services earliest days and you can also climb aboard an RFDS aircraft to see an emergency room the size of a phone box
Tjulyuru Culural Centre
The art gallery, Warta Shop and Kapi Cafe all offer you a true Australian outback experience. The art and artefact are produced by the Ngaanyatjarra communities. Enjoy meeting the local people, visit the art Gallery, see original and authentic Aboriginal art and crafts
Kalgoorlie has a semi-arid climate and receives little rainfall. Surrounded by desert, vegetation is in the form of scrubland and tall trees are hard to find. In Summer, temperatures soar however at night, temperatures are cold in contrast to the heat of the day. In Summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 35°C with an average minimum temperature of 18°C. In Winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 19°C with an average minimum temperature of 2°C.
Kalgoorlie came into existence in 1893 after Paddy Hannan, Tom Flanagan and Daniel Shea discovered gold near Mount Charlotte less than 40 km from the Coolgardie goldfields. This was the goldrush to beat all goldrushes. The area became known as 'The Golden Mile' which at the time was the largest goldfield in the world.
By the end of 1893 over 100 leases had been taken out in the area. By 1910 Kalgoorlie had fresh water, electricity, a tramline and every possible comfort for the town's hard working citizens. The founder of the region, Paddy Hannan became a symbol of the battler who struck it rich. The main street is named after him, the local club was 'The Hannan's Club', even a locally brewed beer became known as 'Hannan's Beer'. The name of Kalgoorlie is derived from an Aboriginal word 'kulgoolah' meaning 'silky pear' which are common in the area.
If you plan to holiday in Western Australia, the West-Oz e-Newsletter is a must read. Packed full of local information, promotions, links and photographs. Each issue is presented in an attractive, easy to read manner and is delivered to your e-mail, once per month.
