Gold Capital of Australia
Kalgoorlie-Boulder, in the heart of the goldfields, is home to the country’s biggest gold producers. It is one of Australia’s most thriving inland cities. Magnificent Victorian buildings with ornate facades and verandahs line wide streets, reflecting the prosperity and entrepreneurial spirit of days past.
The City’s facilities are second to none. The climate averages 25 degrees maximum and 12 degrees minimum with 300 days of sunshine a year.
The Goldrush, set off in 1993 by Paddy Hannan’s discovery of gold, led to the richest square mile of gold bearing earth ever discovered - The Golden Mile. Kalgoorlie and Boulder had a population of about 30,000 people with 93 hotels and eight breweries.
Today the Golden Mile Superpit Lookout, (off Goldfields Highway) overlooks the massive Superpit, part of The Golden Mile. There are spectacular views of the workings from the lookout. Holes in the side of the pit are from historic workings once proliferating the area. Some days onlookers can watch the blastings in progress - Kalgoorlie-Boulder Tourist Centre signposts times.
Fimiston Open Pit (the Superpit) and Mount Charlotte underground operations are part of Australia’s largest gold mining and milling complex, operated by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM). Mining is undertaken 24 hours a day, 364 days a year. The Pit is currently 290 metres deep, 3 km long and 1.5 km wide. Within ten years it is expected that the mining will extend to a depth of 600 metres. The trucks that look like Dinky toys are 200 tonne dump trucks and the giant face shovels scoop up as much as 40 tonnes of dirt in a single pass.
Museums of the goldfields capture the excitement, prosperity and hardships of the era. There are heritage walks.
As well as enjoying the attractions, heritage and ambience of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Coolgardie there are ghost towns - drive north to where huge populations once lived. Towns like Gwalia, with its Mine Office (Gwalia Museum), Broad Arrow, Menzies and the site where a large town like Malcolm disappeared from the face of the earth. Heritage Trail guides are available at the Tourist Centre. Rocky outcrops and outback scenery is also worth seeing especially in wildflower season.
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