The Karalee Rocks campground is suitable for all vehicles
Karalee Rocks, WA, is a fascinating stopover on the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail, with a rich history to discover among peaceful surroundings.
Located on Kaprun country in the Yilgarn region, Karalee Rocks lies just a few kilometres off the Great Eastern Highway, 56km east of Southern Cross. Here you will find one of several rock catchments and dams built in the 1890s to service steam trains on the Perth to Coolgardie-Kalgoorlie Eastern Goldfields Railway.
In 1894, surveyor N. M. Brazier recorded the Aboriginal name Karalee meaning ‘a waterhole near grass’. Aboriginal people camped here for thousands of years, collecting water from the rock’s gnamma holes and soaks.
Early European explorers, sandalwood cutters and gold seekers followed, and Karalee played an important role in the eastwards development of Western Australia.
Karalee Dam
Karalee was officially gazetted as a water reserve in 1888. By 1895, most of the 600 teams and 4000 horses making the four and a half day trip between Southern Cross and Coolgardie regularly rested here.
For many years a Scandinavian hermit lived a simple life until old age at Karalee, building a hut and small dam, tending his vegetable garden, allowing prospectors to water their horses in his dam and playing his cornet on the rock in the evening.
Despite the region recording less than 260ml of rain per year, the two large granite rocks at Karalee offered an ideal 71 hectare catchment.
When the Perth to Kalgoorlie railway was completed in 1896, stone walls, an aqueduct and a 48.3 million litre dam were constructed by William Noah Hedges to collect rain run-off for steam trains enroute to Kalgoorlie.
Rock walls surround the rock itself
Six kilometres of granite slab walls up to a metre high, hewn from the rock itself and laid by hand, surround the rock. These direct rain from the rock into the dam via stone-lined channels and a 175m long semi-circular steel flume aqueduct, hand riveted at each joint.
It is an impressive achievement of manual labour and horsepower. The flume has been conserved by the National Trust of Western Australia and listed on the State Register of Heritage Places.
The flume
Water was pumped from the dam through an 89mm diameter pipe, 3.6km south to a 113,000L overhead water tank alongside the railway siding. A small settlement sprang up beside the main road and telegraph line, consisting of two hotels, bakery, store, cottages, and barracks, none of which remain today.
Construction workers camped at Karalee during the building the 530km Goldfields Water Supply Pipeline in 1902. One of the longest overland pipeline schemes of the 19th century, it is one of CY O’Connor’s engineering projects, which include the Fremantle Harbour.
Karalee was obviously a welcome resting place for pioneer prospector and poet Dorham Longford (Dorrie) Doolette (1872–1925) who immortalised the rock in verse and was published in The Bulletin and The Kalgoorlie Sun. “Tonight brings rest by Karalee... See how fetlock deep the ponies run, In valleys sheltered from the sun, The grass grows deep by Karalee.”*
Thanks to the National Trust, the Yilgarn Shire and Track Care, visitors can camp or picnic at Karalee. Two easy gravel interpretive walking trails take you through bushland and over the rock.
We have camped at Karalee several times. Lightly wooded with salmon gums, gimlets and eucalypts, it is suitable for caravans, camper trailers and tents, however there is currently no toilet.
In spring visitors will be rewarded with wildflowers. We enjoyed searching for wild orchids in the rock gardens and sheltered places, finishing the day with a magnificent sunset, fresh baked damper and a blanket of stars.
*From Dorrie Doolette’s poem Karalee published in The Bulletin, 23 March 1905, under the pen name ‘The Prodigal’.
Dainty blue orchid
Plan your trip to Karalee Rocks
Location
Karalee Rocks is located 5km north of the Great Eastern Highway, 56km east of Southern Cross, 138km west of Coolgardie and 423km from Perth. The turn off is signposted on the highway.
Facilities
The camping area is suitable for caravans, camper trailers and tents. Picnic tables and fire rings are available, but bring your own water and firewood. Be aware of fire restrictions and take away your rubbish. No potable water, toilet or dump point. The National Trust hopes to have a toilet operational in late 2025. There is a dump point at Boondi Rock, 56km east of Karalee. There are interpretive 1.2km and 2.7km walk trails.
Pets
Dogs discouraged as this is a wild dog baiting control area.
Useful Information
- Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail
- National Trust of Western Australia
- Place # 10062 at the WA Heritage Council
- Trove, National Library of Australia
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