GWALIA GOLD

Quaint. That’s Gwalia. Just three kilometres from Leonora, Gwalia’s chequered history continues. Many of its buildings live on, restored by both individuals and the Shire Council to showcase how the town used to be. Shops, boarding houses, and individual residences are still there, plus the only hotel ever build by the W.A. State Government. Population now is 15 -20; in its hey-day 1700.

The PLUME sign reminded me of my grandfather’s servo in the days when each pump had a different brand of fuel. PLUME fuel was delivered by Mr. Pearce who had plenty of time to drink the cuppa my Nana always had for him.

There have been times when the mine ceased to operate because either the price of gold was too low, or not enough was being extracted, or living conditions were too tough. This meant the fortunes of the shopkeepers waxed and waned. Mostly they were Italian and Yugoslav migrants. Currently the mine is doing well, having gone from open-cut to underground. In fact, it has tunneled right under the Goldfields Highway between Leonora and Kalgoorlie, about 900 metres down. One of the 6 best-producing mines in Australia, over 2 million ounces of gold have been extracted.

Presiding over this gold mine and the town is the impressive Mine Manager’s dwelling, on the cusp of the great open cut, with cool verandas, lush green lawns and gardens, planted with roses! Out here in the dry, dusty outback! The first manager was the 23-year-old Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31^st President of the U.S.A. Incidentally, the house wasn't finished before he was called away to the coal mines in China, but he did live in it while it was being built, and later visited the mine, with his wife, on several occasions and stayed in it.

And that’s where we had coffee and cake served to us this morning.