Coolgardie Visitors Centre & Goldfields Exhibition Museum

A local collection housed in the historic old Courthouse or Gold fever, old geezers, heroes and bold pieces.

From a tent town to bricks and mortar, the old Coolgardie Courthouse unpacks the history of the 1890's gold fever and is a treasure trove of items from local collectors. Learn about Coolgardie’s mining history, and the triumphs of its local heroes, such as the divers who rescued trapped miner Modesto 'Charlie' Varischetti. A more recent story is about Scott Properjohn, the founder of the museum. Properjohn made many of the displays in the Museum and other museums in the region. See rare items from cameleer history, including an 'Afghan' beadwork snake, and marvel at the large bottle collection in the old courtroom, or the pharmacy items displayed on the ground floor. Don't forget to visit the quirky, Ben Prior Park, an open-air museum across the road from the museum. The park contains rare mining equipment and celebrates the local heroes like Ernest Giles and his camel.

Address:

62 Bayley St
Coolgardie WA 6429
Australia

Opening Hours

Monday to Sunday | 10am to 3pm, closed Public Holidays.

From trash to treasure

Frank and May Waghorn lived near Sandstone when they discovered a bottle dump, which led to bottle fever! Frank and May ‘dug from daylight to dark seven days a week’ looking for bottles and travelled...

A mining rescue miracle

On the 19 March 1907, Coolgardie received unprecedented rain, which caused water to rise in the mine at Bonnievale. Modesto Varischetti became trapped and remained below ground for 9 days, when he was...

‘A little dab’l do’

A little dab'l do ya’ was the advertising phrase used by Brylcreem in the 1950s, to put 'life, life, life back into dry hair'. These items are part of the Eddy Grant Collection which contains food and...

More Golden Outback collections

Gaze on a gallery as you borrow a book

You can find the Shire of Wagin's art collection in the library: This is an intimate space to house an intimate collection. The Shire’s art collection includes items from the Sir Claude Hotchin...

A Wheatbelt town named after an Antartic explorer.

The Shackleton Hall houses a collection which tells the history of settlement in the area. It also includes information related to Kwolyin, a ghost town, located approximately 9km to the west of...

Walk through the lense of the Big Camera, into a world of cameras.

Walk through the lens of the Big Camera to be transfixed by wall-to-wall cameras! This is believed to be the largest working camera display in the Southern hemisphere. It is a place to learn about the...

Aboriginal art from Laverton and the Western Desert region

In this gallery you will find artworks, paintings, digging sticks, carvings, weavings and crafts by artists from the surrounding regions, including the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Well known weavers in the...

While you're in the area

Filter
Warden Finnerty's Residence
Attraction
Warden Finnerty's Residence
Warden Finnerty's House in Coolgardie is a beautiful historic home which...
2 Mckenzie Street, Coolgardie, WA 6429
Bayleys Reward Fly Flat
Attraction
Bayleys Reward Fly Flat
Bayleys Reward Fly Flat is the site where gold was first discovered in...
Hunt Street, Coolgardie, WA 6429
Lindsay's Pit
Attraction
Lindsay's Pit
The now disused Lindsay's Pit open cut gold mine on the north side of...
Ford Street, Coolgardie, WA 6429
Old Pioneer Cemetery (Coolgardie)
Attraction
Old Pioneer Cemetery (Coolgardie)
A visit to the Old Pioneer Cemetery Coolgardie will give you an...
Forrest Street, Coolgardie, WA 6429