WA School of Mines Mineral Museum Overview

WA School of Mines Mineral Museum

Get directions

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.

Visit website

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...

Albert Facey Homestead

A Fortunate Life

Visit the original humble homestead of Albert Facey, author of Australian classic autobiography, A Fortunate Life. The homestead is right in the heart of Wickepin and forms a key feature of the 58km...

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...

Old Police Complex

A country police station

The first Laverton police station is described by the guide as ‘tents, tin and fibro,’ with the prisoners brutally chained to logs. In 1899 the original jail was moved from the close-by settlement of...

Koorda Motor Museum and Military Collection

A passion for cars and military history

This collection was built up over 30 years through a passion for cars and military memorabilia. Tony Clarke repairs and restores classic and muscle cars, and loves military history. You will find some...