The longest shortcut-Eastern Goldfields WA (5)

The number of historic and more recent mines that litter the desert landscapes of the Eastern Goldfields of WA is amazing. Driving north for 100s of kilometres through the desert, you assume that the common flat-top mesas are naturally formed, however, they are actually mine spoil heaps. Both Leonora and Laverton, as well as other towns including Mt Magnet, Cue and Meekatharra have long gold mining histories and the associated spoil heaps. Dusting ourselves off after coming off the GCR and checking out the small town of Laverton, we drove another 125 km to the town of Leonora and booked into a mining camp for the night. This turned out to be an interesting experience, eating at the mining camp canteen and sleeping in the dongas along with the fly-in, fly-out population. There was certainly no shortage of food. The main street of Leonora had interesting architecture-colonial pubs and old historic government buildingd, while the mining history of the nearby Gwalia Mine and its associated historic town was fascinating. The mine was originally worked by Welsh miners in the late 19th century, with Herbert Hoover, the later President of the United States (1929-33), serving as the mine manager (May to November 1898). Hoover was not impressed by the work ethic of the British miners and imported European substitutes, in particular, those from Italy and Eastern Europe. The mine has a boom-and-bust history but is now back to being a fully operational underground mine. Also, all credit to the local community for saving their mining heritage, before Gwalia town was subsumed by later mining activities. The old houses and shops, built by the immigrant Italian and eastern European miners, were de-constructed, moved to a safe area and re-constructed using the original building materials. Interestingly, in 1979, during a round Australia trip, we visited the same mine, which was then derelict, with much of the machinery in ruins. A lot has happened in the intervening years. Move to 2023 and the pride of the local community is very evident. Much of the mining machinery has been restored, an excellent museum and coffee shop open and Hoover’s residence restored and being used as a BnB, complete with much of the original furniture. Interestingly, apparently, Hoover was chastised by his London-based company board for spending excessively on his home. He should be applauded; it is a beautiful example of period-architecture.

Leonora to Laverton and onto Meekatharra and beyond, eventually heading for Karrinjini Gorges, close to 1000 km further north

GWALIA HISTORIC TOWN

State Hotel, Gwalia. Built in 1903 by the Western Australian Government to combat the sly grog trade and to provide an alternative to the private hotels in Leonora. It was the first hotel built and run by an Australian government.

Gwalia State Hotel-beautiful colonial architecture

Derelict wrecks of Gwalia

The following images portray the old mine cottages, Gwalia business houses and street scenes restored by lthe local volunteers. The houses were moved, board by board from the path of the modern mine and reconstructed using the same building methods first used. Imagine living in these homes back in the early 1900s, iron rooves, no insulation and certainly no air-conditioning. Bring on the era of fly in, fly out mining camps.

Play me a tune. Memories of good times.

Patronis Guesthouse, Gwalia

Patronis Guest House accommodation. Imagine how hot these tin huts would have been in summer and cold in winter.

GWALIA MINE

The trees adjoining the operational Gwalia mine. The trees would have been planted in the garden of the mine manager, Herbert Hoover back around 1900. The house has been restored and is now used as a BnB. Beautifully done.

Well wothh a morning coffee and cakes if not a sleep. If you stand at the fence between the trees you look down at the mine open-cut pit hundreds of metres below.

Gwalia Mine started its life as an underground mine back in the late 1900s. In more recent decades the tunnels have been dug up, the ore removed and processed and underground mining resumed following the gold down something like double the depth of the open-cut.

The ore trucks recover the ore from underground and dump it on a pad in the open-cut area, half way to the surface. It is then moved up to the processing plant on th surface.

The winch used in the early days to move the miners to depth and to haul up the ore carts

A steam powered motor used to haul the miners and the ore to the surface.

Cogs within cogs. The gears of a drill press.

Now that's a spanner

Thr mine winch, derelict in 1979, now fully restored

Gwalia staff officers adjacent to Hoover house, now an excellent part of the mine museum

The interior of the mine managers house, Gwalia Mine, now restored as a BnB

LEONORA

Main street Leonora WA

Deserted, Leonora WA

CUE

The Masonic Lodge, Cue. Beautiful architecture. The foundation stone records that the Masonic Lodge was built in 1899 to the design of architect E. Owen Hughes. It was built as the meeting place for Murchison Lodge 22, which was established two years earlier. Laid on 8 April 1899, the foundation stone records that Little and McInnes were the contractors. Monthly meetings were held in the hall until August 1979 when they were cancelled due to insufficient numbers.

In 1979, the main street of Cue had many wonderful old gold mining buildings. Sadly now, the only one of particular interest to me was the Masonic Lodge, the rest having been destroyed.

Wonderful architecture. Although it is not particularly obvious, the lodge is clad with galvanised iron.

Thr Queen of the Murchison, Cue. Our accommodatioon for the night. Well restored and very comfortable.

Main street Cue. The town is quite well restored although disappointing that so much of the architectural history has been destroyed in the last 43 years.

Murchison Club Hotel, Cue. Good food, friendly locals

Built in the main street between 1895 and 1897 from locally quarried granite, the buildings were, and remain, among the most impressive in the region. The Courthouse and Police Station are still being used for their original purpose (https://www.cue.wa.gov.au/tourism/historical-buildings/item/government-buildings).

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