Kalgoorlie - Boulder

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Leaving Norseman early again as the sun had been up for 4 hours and it was still only 8.00am! we headed north to Kalgoorlie which is the centre of WA's gold mining history. We went via Kambalda, a mining town that basically is all new accommodation for miners.....few facilities, but an amazingly clean and new looking Caravan Park and a great oval, with real green grass which Jackie loved to run on.

Kalgoorlie was once known as Hannan's find in honour of Paddy Hannan, the first prospector to find gold here in 1893. Again an horse was involved, Paddy and a few mates had to stay behind a prospecting party because one of the horses's had lost a shoe. Whilst this was being fixed up, a bit of fossicking led them to discover the richest gold field the world had known. It soon grew to become the Golden Mile which is the world's richest square mile of gold bearing ore.

The population soon grew to 30,000 in 1903 and the shortage of water was a big problem, but thanks to C.Y.O'Connor, an Engineer, who enabled a pipeline to be opened that pumped water 560klm from Perth. In it;s heyday Kalgoorlie and Boulder boasted 8 breweries and 93 Hotels ! Some of these are still standing today and the attraction in some of them now are the 'Skimpies', scantilly dressed barmaids ( well it does get hot here, it was 35 yesterday!). The Kalgoorlie Red Light district still has a few remaining 'starting stalls' in which women 'posed for clients'. Today you can tour the only 'original' working brothel left in Hay street, Questa Casa, (there are others in Hay Street but not original). We enjoyed our tour here just to be sure that the advertising blurb available at tourist information was correct for Blog purposes ! ( Mike, 'yeah sure'😉.

Although a few Klm apart Kalgoorlie and Boulder developed independently for many years, the towns now form one city with two main streets, each lined with impressive buildings. Being in an earthquake prone area, many of these turn of the century buildings that displayed ornamentation to the external facades and internal features have either been destroyed or damaged many times over the years. The biggest earthquake to hit this area was only last year (April) and was 5.6 in magnitude. Many buildings still retain their splendour and grandeur representative of the wealth in the city despite these events.

We are staying in Kalgoorlie Boulder for 5 nights so our next blog will detail more of the region and its sights.

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Photos

Kalgoorlie
You know you are in big mining country as soon as you enter the town

Kalgoorlie
Trish & Jackie show how big these buckets actually are

Kalgoorlie
Exchange Hotel, Hannan Street

Kalgoorlie
Paddy Hannan .... he started it all.

Comments

[wendy & Jeff]

Did Mike get a show bag at the starting stalls, we didn't know they had a tour till we got home so Jeff miss out

[Matty]

Thorough research
I'm very glad to see that you tested the accuracy of the advertising blurb, so that others may benefit in the future! Kalgoorlie sounds like an amazing little microcosm living completely off the mining boom and everyone else benefiting at the same time! Maybe I should go over and work for a bit to earn some big bucks!! And speaking of bucks...that bucket is HUGE!!! Not long now!

[faye gronow]

thanks for the photos, we really enjoy them. I remember in my past life going to kalgoorlie for a wedding. Could not believe how hot it was trying to keep cool was a challenge. (going back when I lived in perth and engaged to a perth guy, it was his cousins wedding.) I am pretty sure we stayed in the Exchange hotel.Still looks pretty good.!

[MikeandTrishV]

Show Bag !
Hi Wendy,, hehe , I got the real thing !!! see next blog !!, Thanks for comments, trust all is weel back in Kyneton.