Coolgardie, Western Australia

Coolgardie
Western Australia
Coolgardie Warden's Court
Coolgardie Marvel Bar RSL
Coolgardie
Coordinates30°57′11″S 121°09′50″E / 30.953°S 121.164°E / -30.953; 121.164
Population763 (UCL 2021)
Established1892
Postcode(s)6429
Elevation428 m (1,404 ft)
Area125 km2 (48 sq mi)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Coolgardie
State electorate(s)Kalgoorlie
Federal division(s)O'Connor

Coolgardie is a small town in Western Australia located around 558 kilometres (347 mi) east of the state capital, Perth; and 38 kilometres (24 mi) southwest of Kalgoorlie. It has a population of approximately 850 people.

Although Coolgardie is now known to most Western Australians as a tourist town and a mining ghost town, it was once the third largest town in Western Australia (after Perth and Fremantle). At this time, mining of alluvial gold was a major industry and supplied the flagging economy with new hope. Many miners suffered under the harsh conditions, but for a few, their find made the hard work worthwhile. Most men, however, left poorer than they had started off, with their hopes dashed.