WAMining
Kalgoorlie
Gold turned a camp into a city.
1893Gold discovery · town gazetted in 1894
WHAT STARTED IT
The discovery associated with Paddy Hannan and his companions brought a gold rush in 1893. Rich reefs in the surrounding district sustained a much larger settlement than the first prospectors’ camp.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
The Golden Mile drove deep mining, investment and rapid building. Supplying water to the dry goldfields became a defining engineering challenge, while grand hotels and public buildings marked the boom.
TURNING POINTS
1893Gold discoveries spark the rush.
1894Kalgoorlie is officially gazetted.
1903The goldfields water pipeline opens.
1989Kalgoorlie and Boulder formally amalgamated as the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder, joining the neighbouring mining towns under one council.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A working gold-mining city and regional service hub. Its scale reflects the continuing importance of mining across the Eastern Goldfields.