Exploring the mining town - around Kalgoorlie-Boulder

23rd May 2014

John had a well earned rest this morning whilst I went to the goldfields museum which was very well presented.  There was information about the discovery of the richest gold seam in the world and the hardships of the early miners as well as a social history and a display of unprocessed gold nuggets and gold bearing rocks which are worth $4,000,000 according to the lady providing information.

Unprocessed gold nugget

This museum lady, who is from Liverpool in England and has been here for 20 months, and a hairdresser who cut John's hair who is from Yorkshire and has been here 6 months, are both with their husbands who have engineering skills to work in the mine. Seems Kalgoorlie is a good place for would be migrants to work until they have lived here for 4 years and can apply for citizenship.

The museum is built around an old hotel, the British Arms, which is the narrowest in Australia at about 5 metres and said to be haunted.  Several other old buildings have been moved to the site and re erected including a tin miners cottage and a mobile police station.  Seems the police station, in a converted rail wagon was shunted from one goldfield town to another as the need arose for law and order!

Mobile police station - early 20th century

Bumpy ride on this timber bicycle

The men seized by gold fever went to great lengths to get to the mine sites, the museum even has a home made bicycle made from bits of timber and scrap metal!

In the afternoon we drove to have a look at the Super Pit, which is the largest open cut mine in the world - a huge hole in the ground which is currently some 3.5kms in length and over 600 metres deep and growing.    The mine was formed in the 1980's by buying up all the smaller leases which were using conventional shaft and tunnel mining.  We will find out more tomorrow when we do a mine tour.

Scoop from a mine digger

We also went into the Metropole Hotel to check out the mine shaft under the floor, which these days is covered with a glass panel for viewing.  The hotel was built directly over the shaft and legend has it that the miners would ascend the ladders with their diggings and put them on the bar for payment.