The discovery of gold near Mount Charlotte in 1893 sparked the commencement of a gold rush, and the European settlement of the Kalgoorlie area.

Irish prospectors Paddy Hannan, Dan Shea and Tom Flanagan are recognised as the instigators of the gold rush. The trio rode east of Coolgardie in search of new goldfields and found over 100 ounces of gold. Paddy Hannan made the journey to Coolgardie to register the reward claim at what would become known as Hannan’s Find. This act inspired the gold rush and subsequent population explosion of the area which was renamed Kalgoorlie.

The richest square mile on earth (the Golden Mile) was just 5 kilometres north of Hannan’s Find and in 1893, Sam Pearce and Will Brookman pegged the ground that would later become the Great Boulder and the Ivanhoe – the beginnings of the Golden Mile.

By 1903, the area had 42 companies and numerous leases that produced more than one million ounces of gold that year.

Today the Kalgoorlie-Boulder area continues to be the backbone of the Western Australian mining industry. The area is steeped in history and a fascinating place to visit, learn about and explore.

• The Golden Quest Discovery Trail is a self-drive trail that runs from Coolgardie to Laverton and incorporates 25 interpretive sites, historical mining towns, legendary country pubs, ghost towns and the Gormley sculptures at Lake Ballard.
• The Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail is a self-drive trail that runs from Perth to Kalgoorlie following the path of the pipeline that carries fresh water from Mundaring Weir to Mount Charlotte Reservoir. The 650 kilometre trail commemorates the history of this incredible engineering feat, designed by CY O’Connor.

Location: Kalgoorlie is located 40 kilometres east of Coolgardie, or 595 kilometres east of the city of Perth.

Australia’s Golden Outback

Kalgoorlie Visitor Centre

Golden Quest Discovery Trail

Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail