Kalgoorlie Destination-Information Listings

Boulder

Kalgoorlie and Boulder amalgamated in 1989. Up until then they were two towns lying side by side. Boulder's main street, Burt Street, is five kilometres from Kalgoorlie's main street, Hannan Street. Boulder was named after "The Great Boulder Mine", the first mine on the Golden Mile. A walk along Burt Street is a walk through living history. Beautiful reminders such as the Town Hall with the Goatcher Curtain, the Miners Monument, Goldfields War Museum and the Loopline Railway Station set amongst the shopping precinct makes for an enjoyable morning. Boulder Market Day falls on the third Sunday of each month and is a busy mix of displays, stalls, entertainment and tours. Tour the surrounds of the Golden Mile in the old train which once carried hundreds of miners to work each day. This busy railway has now been overtaken by the expanding Super Pit. Train departs daily from Boulder Station at 10am. Kalgoorlie-Boulder is living history, with the past conspicuous in every part of the city. The architecture, the pubs, the pictures on the wall, the wide streets, and the houses in the suburbs and the signs on the shop fronts all give glimpses of a glorious past.

Kalgoorlie

Get ready for a heady trip to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia’s largest goldfields town famed for its fascinating gold rush history, fabulous old buildings and old gold miners’ ghost towns. ‘Kal’ was born amid the 1880s gold rush when thousands of starry-eyed prospectors made the 700 kilometre journey east of Perth seeking their fortunes. Vibrant Hannan Street (named after Irishman Paddy Hannan who struck gold in 1893) is lined with pubs, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants. There’s the Hannan railway station, the Hannan hotel where you can drink a pint of Hannan lager. Kalgoorlie is still an active mining town and the three and a half kilometre long, one and a half kilometre wide Super Pit Mine – where 800,000 ounces of gold is produced each year – is mind-blowing. This massive hole is as deep as Uluru is high with about the same circumference. Both Kalgoorlie and Boulder are packed with grand old buildings (visit the magnificent Boulder Town Hall), lively pubs and colourful characters still living the prospecting dream. Step back in time to the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame – a historic precinct with prospector’s campsite and heritage buildings. In the red dusty outback near Leonora is the fascinating ghost town of Gwalia. Check out the Flying Doctor’s Visitor Centre, and galleries featuring Aboriginal and Goldfields art for a memorable souvenir. If, after all the sightseeing you need to cool off, stop for a quick dip in Western Australia’s largest indoor pool in Johnson Street. Accommodation-wise, there are caravan parks, campsites and hostels if you’re on a budget; or alternatively, hotels and motels. Kal rocks with festivities in September, when crowds flock to watch the famous horse race, The Boulder to Kalgoorlie Cup. And with a pub on just about every street corner, there’s no avoiding a good night out!