Kalgoorlie streetscape (Image Tourism WA)
Julia D’Orazio rediscovers Kalgoorlie - Boulder, Australia’s largest outback city, exploring its gold rush history, heritage landmarks and outback charm.
It has been six years since I last visited the city of Kalgoorlie - Boulder, 594km east of Perth via the Great Eastern Highway, and simply known as Kalgoorlie. (Its name is the amalgamation of the town of Kalgoorlie and the Shire of Boulder.)
In many respects, not much has changed in Australia’s largest outback city, the heart of WA’s Eastern Goldfields. Heritage buildings of gold rush grandeur still stand, although many are sadly vacant. People in fluoro and hi-vis clothing continue to be the norm. The iconic skimpy barmaids still pour drinks and wait tables at the landmark Exchange Hotel. Australia’s oldest working brothel continues to have its doors open. Mining still dominates, as the colossal Super Pit gold mine continues to expand.
These mixed-bag curiosities are part of the former gold rush town’s allure, and I was ready to uncover more of its past over the 72 hours I had to explore.
The iconic Exchange Hotel
Where to stay in Kalgoorlie Boulder
I was travelling with my mum, a first-time visitor to ‘Kal’, and our base for the next few days was Discovery Parks – Kalgoorlie Goldfields. All caravan sites are up to 10m long with sufficient room for an awning. Some of the best spots are powered sites 15–20 and 30–34 around the grassed tent area. Further back from the main road, sites 76–80 along the back fence have ample shade and, not surprisingly, are popular in summer. To cool off, the pool next to reception includes an undercover entertaining space with barbecues.
The park is located in Boulder, less than 2km from Burt Street’s heritage buildings. Sticking to Boulder’s main drag, we began our morning at Cafe Dharma, housed in Boulder’s old fire station (est. 1904). After a quick coffee fix, it was a short walk to Boulder’s imposing architectural marvel: Boulder Town Hall.
Heritage highlights in Boulder
Built in 1908 during the gold rush era, Boulder Town Hall is an excellent example of Federation free classical style architecture. The two-storey red brick and stone landmark is the only building in the city with two facades and features a clock tower. Inside, the hall is beautifully ornate with pressed metal ceilings preserved in its original colour scheme and wrought iron balustrades. To find out more about this impressive building, we joined a one-hour guided tour (operating Tuesday and Thursday) by local history and archives officer Tim, who showed us the ropes — literally.
Boulder Town Hall (Image Tourism WA)
Before heading backstage, one cannot go past the most striking and unusual artwork taking centre stage in this grandiose town hall. Standing 8m tall and 6m wide, engulfing the stage is a working stage curtain painting by renowned English scene painter Philip Goatcher. The masterpiece features satin drapes and red velvet curtains bordering an elaborate golden frame, and within it, a dreamy depiction of the Bay of Naples. The faraway scene is believed to reference Italian immigrants in the goldfields. Best viewed from afar for a 3D effect, the rare and priceless painting is considered to be Goatcher’s only remaining drop curtain artwork.
After our history lesson, Tim, a walking encyclopaedia of local history, took us backstage to see life behind the curtains. The Goatcher Curtain’s original pulley system is suspended in place, remaining unchanged for more than a century.
The Goatcher Curtain in Boulder Town Hall
While Boulder Town Hall no longer serves its intended purpose as a theatre and community hub, it now houses the Goldfields War Museum. The small, free exhibition charts the city’s residents’ involvement during the world wars through to the 21st century, with relics and photographs.
Exploring Kalgoorlie’s mining history and the iconic Super Pit
A fun way to appreciate Kalgoorlie’s mining history is a visit to Hannans North Tourist Mine. Mechanical junkyard or mining treasures? Kalgoorlie’s largest open-air museum doubles as a miner’s playground. It is strewn with century-old buildings, mining equipment from yesteryear, gold panning ponds (fun for the little ones) and modern (and retired) mining trucks as seen in the Super Pit (more on that later).
The tourist mine’s most popular ‘ride’ is hopping on board a stationary 793C haul truck. We had a fun time climbing (albeit awkwardly) into the rim of the enormous wheel and posing for pictures in the shovel of a 994-wheel loader. Meanwhile, a stark contrast within the tourist mine is the Chinese Garden of Remembrance, which brings a sense of serenity amidst the heavy machinery.
Julia mucking around at the Hannans North Tourist Mine
After our exploration, we headed to an unusual tourist drawcard — the Fimiston Open Pit. Primarily known as the Super Pit, it is Australia’s largest gold mine and one of the world’s biggest open-cut mines. Visible from space, the giant mine is roughly 3.5km long, 1.5km wide and 600m deep. Standing at the KCGM Super Pit Lookout, it was hard not to feel incredibly small. Mining trucks appear as Tonka trucks, slowly moving up and down the snaking roads into pits of gold. According to the Institution of Civil Engineers, the mine produces approximately eight per cent of Australia’s total gold output. If you’re lucky, you may be able to witness a blast. Check the Super Pit website for blast times.
To get a closer look at the operations of a working mine, we joined a Super Pit tour. Kalgoorlie Tours & Charters offers two tours, including a 1.5-hour whirlwind tour within the mine itself. Everyone on the bus blended in with the mine workers, all given hard hats and hi-vis vests. We passed structures foreign to anything I’ve seen before — multi-storey conveyor belts, container domes, rows of 4.5-tonne tyres. We were allowed out of the bus to see the pit from a different angle, far closer than the KCGM Super Pit Lookout permits. At this vantage point, trucks no longer looked like toys as they slowly ascended from the pit, each carrying a full load. And to think the pit is only going to get deeper.
View of the Super Pit, Australia’s largest open-air gold mine
Playing the part in my tour of the Super Pit
If you’re looking to delve deeper into the region’s rich mining heritage, the Museum of the Goldfields is a great place to visit. A must-see on the ground floor of the museum is the gold vault. The multi-million-dollar exhibition features half of the state’s gold collection, including gold nuggets and the first bullion bar with a Kalgoorlie stamp. Hovering 39m over the museum is the Kalgoorlie Red Ivanhoe Headframe, which was initially part of the Big Bell Gold Mine outside of Cue. There’s a lift that will take you up to the headframe’s halfway point for 360-degree views of the city.
Kalgoorlie Red Ivanhoe Headframe at the Museum of the Goldfields
Quirky attractions in Kalgoorlie and Boulder
Kalgoorlie is a curious place. A few streets back from Kalgoorlie’s stately Hannan Street is Questa Casa, otherwise known as Australia’s oldest working brothel. The pastel pink ‘Pink House’ has swung its 11 doors open for more than a century and is known to be the only brothel that has ‘starting stalls’. Daily tours offer a peek behind the doors and into the boudoirs of the infamous brothel, and the madam is forthcoming with stories of its scandalous past.
Another outback rarity is the Two-Up Shed. Located 9km north of Kalgoorlie, the ramshackle and rusted corrugated iron shed surrounded by bush is one of two places in Australia where Two-Up can be legally played every day (the other is Broken Hill, NSW). Games of Two-Up are played within the ring at the shed every Sunday and on public holidays at 2pm.
Heading further north of the iconic shed is Broad Arrow Tavern. Graffiti covers the walls of the 1896-built pub, while bras hang from the ceiling. Besides the pub’s eccentric appearance and collection of memorabilia, the outback oasis is famously known for its homemade burgers. The hearty two-hand burgs and chips are renowned in the region — it’s worth the short drive (approximately 30 minutes) from Kalgoorlie to satisfy the craving.
Quirky decor inside the Broad Arrow Tavern
Kalgoorlie pubs, heritage and nightlife
Kalgoorlie’s history of riches dates back to 1893 when Irishman Paddy Hannan first struck gold, his discovery shaping Kalgoorlie into one of the world’s richest gold deposits.
His legacy is present everywhere, from statues to streets that were built and named in honour of the legendary miner. A more attractive reminder of his legacy (compared to the ever-growing Super Pit) is Kalgoorlie’s main thoroughfare, Hannan Street. The wide street is lined with the splendour of a bygone era, featuring century-old heritage buildings such as the Exchange Hotel and Kalgoorlie Town Hall, constructed with mining riches.
Statue of Paddy Hannan along Hannan Street
Kalgoorlie Town Hall (Image Tourism WA)
If you’re looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunset glow on Kalgoorlie’s streetscape, then head to the balcony at York Hotel (even better with a refreshing drink in tow). Once the sun had set on our day of adventures, we headed to the Beaten Track Brewery to experience modern-Kalgoorlie pub life. The microbrewery was heaving with locals taking advantage of its $1 wings night, and it was time to get my hands dirty with this new kind of gold rush.
York Hotel (Image Tourism WA)
Did you know?
Kalgoorlie’s name stems from the Wangai word Karkurla, meaning ‘place of the silky pears’.
Plan your trip to Kalgoorlie Boulder
Discovery Parks – Kalgoorlie Goldfields
286 Burt Street
Boulder WA 6432
P: 08 9093 7500
E: kalgoorlie@discoveryparks.com.au
Hannans North Tourist Mine
130 Goldfields Highway
Mullingar WA 6430
P: 08 9022 1664
E: hannansnorth@nsrltd.com
Kalgoorlie Boulder Visitor Centre
316 Hannan Street
Kalgoorlie WA 6430
P: 08 9021 1966
E: visitors@kalgoorlietourism.com
250 Hannan Street
Kalgoorlie
P: 08 9021 2211
E: info@kalgoorlietours.com.au
17 Hannan Street
Kalgoorlie WA 6430
P: 08 9021 8533
E: reception@museum.wa.gov.au
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