Gwalia Historic Precinct

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A ghost town with a mining history

The Gwalia Historic Precinct includes a ghost town and a museum featuring collections from the old Sons of Gwalia Mine and the Leonora district. The museum collection items are housed in the main shed and various original buildings from the Sons of Gwalia mine. Learn about the Aboriginal people and migrant workers who lived in Gwalia, the assay process of separating gold from ore or view the only large timber incline headframe in Australia. This large collection requires some walking. If you get tired you might like to rest your legs and grab a Devonshire tea at Hoover House café between 10am and 3pm, on the very edge of the present-day open cut mine. You can also spend the night in the Hoover House for a unique Goldfields experience!

Visit website

Address:

16A Tower St
Leonora WA 6438
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9037 71220

Email:

museum@gwalia.org.au

Opening Hours

Mon to Sun 9am - 4pm

Gwalia Rifle Club trophy

Marksmanship

Oscar Edward Johnson won the ‘Robert Stuart Cup’ at the Gwalia Rifle Club in October 1910 and was awarded this trophy. Johnson was a miner at the Sons of Gwalia Mine and a member of the Rifle Club for...

Seal and embosser

Approving documents

This is an original seal and embosser from the Sons of Gwalia Mine. Seals and embossers like this were used on official documents to confirm and legitimise them. A stamp similar to the embosser was...

Crucible and cupel

Cupellation

These crucibles and cupels were used in the gold testing process, which involves very high temperatures and is called, cupellation. Ore samples with gold are crushed and mixed with other metals to...

Bilya Koort Boodja

Centre for Nyoongar culture and environmental knowledge

Bilya Koort Boodja is a bold and beautifully displayed showcase of the region’s Ballardong Nyoongar culture. In a region still bearing the emotional scars of the Stolen Generations, Bilya Koort Boodja...

City of Kalgoorlie - Boulder Art Collection

City's art collection

In 1955 Claude Hotchin gave a collection of 32 art works to the Municipality of Kalgoorlie. The Claude Hotchin Bequest includes important works by Ernest Philpot, Hans Heysen and Walter Ebatarinja, an...

Hood Penn Museum

A family collection which turned in to a museum

This quirky museum includes several very realistic mannequins, including the friendly bartender from the old Edna May Hotel Bar! The collection was acquired as a donation from the Hood-Penn family...

Esperance Mechanical Restoration Group

Sheds full of vehicles, tractors, machines and a library compactus of manuals

The Esperance Mechanical Restoration Group’s name speaks for itself. The members restore and collect everything from machines to matchboxes. The site takes in several sheds full of cars, trucks and...