SELF-DRIVE TOWN TOUR COOLGARDIE

Coolgardie Goldfields Exhibition Museum is housed in the grand historic two-storey former Wardens Court Building which was erected in 1898. Wander through each of the rooms to view a range of fascinating displays including Aboriginal artefacts, photographs, models and authentic prospecting equipment and one of the largest antique bottle collections in Australia. (Opposite Ben Prior Park) Open daily, check the website for opening times. Entry fee’s apply.

Warden Finnerty's Residence is one of the early buildings built by the Bunnings brothers, who's hardware company went on to be one of Australia's largest retail chains. A beautiful old house built of local stone in 1895 for Coolgardie's first Resident Magistrate and Mining Warden, John Michael Finnerty. During a visit here you can walk through the rooms, with lovely antique furnishings and chinaware on display, to capture the feeling of life in the late 1890's. (500m up Hunt Street) Enjoy a Devonshire Tea - Open Saturday – Wednesday only 11am – 4pm.

Coolgardie 'Old' Cemetery What is now referred to as the old or pioneer cemetery was used until November 1894. It proved very difficult to conduct burials there due to the nature of the soil – rock hard! Of the approximately 30 people buried, the names of only three are known. (Take the track of Jobson Street)

Coolgardie 'New' Cemetery Much of Coolgardie's fascinating history can be read on the headstones of the Pioneer Cemetery used between 1892-1894, and the Coolgardie Cemetery which is still in use today. As typhoid raced through the town in the early goldrush days, many people died without their identity being recorded. There are famous people including explorer Ernest Giles, Bertha Finnerty and Tagh Mahomed buried here along side the unknown. The grave of our better known ghost, Elizabeth Gold, can be found at the Coolgardie Cemetery, buried near the resting place of her murderer. (1.2kms Westbound on Great Eastern Road)

Lions Lookout is the view Arthur Bayley and William Ford had when they first arrived in the area and discovered gold. The lookout offers panoramic views to the east of the town. It is also where the original head frame from the famous “Bailey’s Reward” gold mine is re-erected. (600m up Hunt Street)

Ben Prior Park is a free open-air museum named from its founder Mr Benjamin Austin Prior. Ben came to Coolgardie with his wife and five children in 1932, liked what he seen and two years later set up his garage (Next to the park opposite the museum).
The park contains statues built by Ben himself, along with the wagons that bought the Sisters of Mercy Nurses to Coolgardie during the Typhoid epidemic situated among the many items relating to the gold mining history of the town and many of the pieces Ben found out bush while prospecting. (located in town opposite the museum) Open 7 days 9.00 am - 4.30 pm

The Coolgardie Railway Station was opened on March 23rd, 1896. Traffic in the early period included a train each way, each day to and from Perth, and was one of the busiest stations in the state.
Toorak Hill, Coolgardie Reservoir A large circular reservoir tank, the tank sits atop Toorak Hill, once the extreme of the gazetted town and the name of its northern suburb, and it is at a point from which the most extensive and informative views of Coolgardie can be seen. (1.5kms heading North on Moran St.)

Coolgardie Camel Farm Get up and close with the region's famous creatures. With the town's wide streets reputedly designed to accommodate turning camel trains, Coolgardie's development has largely been centred around the desert dwellers, where upon visiting the farm, you will be engaged by the owner Noel and his extensive knowledge on the subject. Be blown away by the local antiquities & collectables housed in the barn. (4kms West off the Great Eastern Highway) Pre-bookings essential. $10 cash entry. Call Noel 9026 6159.
Coolgardie Gorge Just to the south east of Coolgardie along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, the Gorge was once an important water source to the local population prior to the completion of the ‘Golden Pipeline’. It is now a spot to enjoy a picnic under a shady gum tree, watch the sunset or possibly spot some birds or other wildlife coming in for a drink. (3.5kms on Coolgardie/Esperance Hwy)

Cave Hill Nature Reserve One of the largest and highest granite outcrops in the region, Cave Hill provides an area to explore ancient cave formations and pioneering ingenuity with the historic woodline dams on the outcrop.  The walking trail signage has been removed and one can get easily lost. Ensure you visit the information board to understand the surrounding and map, one can easily get lost and it can be hot on the granite cap. Easiest way to find the cave is by walk anticlockwise and the cave is up on the Western side. Shaded picnic tables and barbecues are provided, good for camping. Location is 40kms West of Widgiemooltha.

Coolgardie Bluff Walk Trail on the north-east of the Coolgardie townsite, the Bluff Walk Trail includes heritage signage and explains the cultural significance of the area to the local Indigenous people. With iron sculptures to see and beautiful look out points along the way, this trail is also a dog friendly space. (Bluff access end of Hunt Street)
Coolgardie Pet Cemetery There is no published information about this cemetery, your author has since researched and obtained a wonderful story that’s probably forgotten and now YOU know the story also! (10kms Nth on Jaurdie Hills Rd on the left)
“My mother used to travel that road almost on a daily bases whilst the family were managing Mt Burgess station, she developed a liking to that creek area because it was always green even through drought times.
She owned a dog called Snoopy who, through an accident, had a leg amputated and mum nursed him through this and taught him how to walk again, this was one of the areas she used to take him.
After a lot of years went by old Snoop passed away so mum took him out there and buried him there. A friend of mums Hetti P. also buried her dog there and that then started the ball rolling! Now, I think every Coolgardie owned dog that dies gets buried there which is great. If the Shire have not gazetted this area as a pet cemetery well its high time they did”
(David M)

Gnarlbine Soak Located 23km south of Coolgardie on Victoria Rock Road, Gnarlbine Soak was originally an Aboriginal waterhole. Explorer HM Lefroy made the discovery of this important water source for pioneers and prospectors in 1863, it was given its name in 1865 by CC Hunt. (38kms South of Coolgardie via Nepean Rd)
Kunanalling At Kunanalling you will find the ruins of the hotel that once housed 800 prospectors at a time. All that remains of the stone hotel are its ruins and its three prominent chimneys. Situated 32 km north of Coolgardie on Coolgardie North Road. (35kms on North Coolgardie Road)

Lindsays Pit Lookout The disused Lindsay's Pit is an open-cut gold mine on the north east side of Coolgardie and was named for G.S. Lindsay, brother-in-law of explorer David Lindsay.
Upon hearing of the gold rush, Lindsay travelled from South Australia to Coolgardie with three Afghan cameleers and 50 camels selling them on arrival for a profit. He then turned to prospecting, discovering gold at the old Lindsay's Pit. (1.5kms on Ford Street)

The Golden Eagle Nugget The largest gold nugget ever discovered in WA was found at Larkinville Mine by 16 year old Jim Lacombe on 15th January 1932. Named the Golden Eagle, it weighed in at a massive 1,135 oz. Stop in at Widgiemooltha and see the Golden Eagle replica which is surrounded by a roadhouse, tavern and a motel/caravan park. (76kms via Coolgardie/Esperance Hwy) Cave Hill Nature Reserve A massive granite outcrop with plenty of cave formations, bushwalking trails and woodline dams to explore. If you'd like to extend your visit, there are also a few designated camping areas on the reserve which offer remarkable stargazing opportunities. (see above Caves Hill notes)

Yackatoon Granite Church A religious amphitheatre in the bush south of Bali Station. Built by the Anglican Church of England Men’s Society in the 1940’s. Yackatoon, means “happy place” in aboriginal dialect. (23kms West of Coolgardie off Gibraltar Rd. Note sign posting on Gibraltar 5kms south turning left.

Boondi Rock An achievement in pioneer ingenuity, this beautiful water catchment area shows a fragment of the early transport system. Found in the Greater Western Woodlands, Boondi Rock was a water catchment area for the steam trains. Slabs of granite were moved from a quarry and used to funnel the rainwater to the dam that serviced the team trains of the era. (82kms Westbound on Great Eastern Hwy)
Karalee Rocks Only 4 kilometres north of the highway, hidden by low scrub in a region with less than 260 millimetres of rain a year, is an earth tank capable of holding nearly 50 million litres of water. (56kms West of Southern Cross, Great Eastern Hwy)
It is believed that Charles Hunt was responsible for the construction of a well and a dam at the base of Karalee Rocks in the 1860's. With the discovery of gold this became a regular stopping place and was officially gazetted as a water reserve in 1888. At some stage a second well was sunk. By 1895 some 600 teams and 4,000 horses were regularly making the 4.5 day trip between Southern Cross and Coolgardie. Most stopped for water. At the same time construction of the railway was underway. One of the wells was deepened, but it was not enough.

Karalee Rocks offered an ideal water catchment area of some 71 hectares. A stone wall was erected around the base of the rocks, directing the run-off into an inlet channel. From there a steel aqueduct, or flume, carried the water to the tank. The sight of the massive aqueduct, seemingly so out of context in this environment never fails to impress.

Holland Track Follow in the tracks of pioneer John Holland on a three-day Holland Track adventure through the Great Western Woodlands - the largest intact Mediterranean climate woodland on Earth and one of the world’s most impressive displays of spring wildflowers.

Starting in Broomehill, a 3.5 hour drive from Perth, a host of natural and cultural treasures await on the 670 kilometre track, which weaves its way on sealed and unsealed roads from the southern Wheatbelt to the historic Goldfields town of Coolgardie.
Visit Lake Grace, where you can take in sweeping panoramas of the vast salt lake and glimpse early settler life at the Inland Mission Hospital.
Traverse the Great Western Woodlands - an area so vast and biologically rich it’s considered as internationally significant as Africa’s Serengeti.
Explore the birthplace of the gold rush, Coolgardie, one of Australia’s best preserved gold mining towns and the starting point for another great road trip - the Golden Quest Discovery Trail. Accommodation options for your Holland Track adventure range from basic outback camping to farm stays and heritage hotels.

Please note, the trail begins on sealed roads but becomes increasingly challenging and remote. A high-clearance four wheel drive, with emergency communications and recovery equipment is strongly recommended.