WA School of Mines Mineral Museum Overview

WA School of Mines Mineral Museum

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Be mesmerised by minerals.

More than just rocks of the region, this collection is a learning tool, with mineral specimens from all around the world, housed in a beautiful heritage building. The minerals include sulphides, like pyrite or fool’s gold; carbonates such as calcspar and dolomite; and native elements such as graphite. Unfortunately, there are no diamonds in the collection! The mineral samples were used as teaching aids at the WA School of Mines, which first opened in Coolgardie in 1902, and then relocated to Kalgoorlie a few years later.

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Address:

117 Egan Street
Kalgoorlie WA 6430
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9088 6170

Email:

WASM-MECEAdministration@curtin.edu.au

Opening Hours

Mon to Fri 9am - 4:30pm

Staurolite

Twinning

Staurolite, a silicate, is used in geology as an 'index mineral'. This means it is used to estimate depth, temperature and pressure changes to rock, like movement of the earth’s crust or magma...

Pyrite from Broad Arrow

Listen to the rocks talk

Minerals like galena and pyrite were used as conductors in early crystal radios. If you wrap chicken wire around a large pyrite sample and shape it into a dish, you can pick up radio waves. It is as...

Malachite from Murin Murin

Viridescent deposit

Malachite, a carbonate of copper, is one of the oldest known green pigments. Malachite was used as an indicator of the presence of copper. This sample is from the Anaconda copper mine near Murin Murin...

Museum of the Goldfields

Lookout for the bright red headframe

The iconic Ivanhoe Headframe is a Kalgoorlie landmark and sits above the Museum of the Goldfields, offering wonderful views of the town. At the Museum you can learn about how Aboriginal people in the...

York Motor Museum

Petrol head pleasure at this motor palace

This Museum is a feast of everything vehicular, with over 70 cars and 15 motorbikes. There is a rotating display of vehicles and motor memorabilia over three main galleries. Don't forget to check out...

The Heritage Wheatbin Museum

A local farming collection in heritage listed Wheatbin

The collection provides a 'Who’s Who' of the region, and a 'what’s what of wheat'. It is housed in a 1939 bulk wheatbin designed and built by Cooperative Bulk Handling and a Machinery Shed and Railway...

Cue Heritage Discovery Centre

An intimate display from pre-settlement history to mining and modernity

You will be greeted by a giant map which shows the location of Cue in relation to Wajarri, Badimia and Yugunga Nya Country. You can also learn about the history of Thuwarri Thaa (Wilgie Mia), a...