Coolgardie, Western Australia

Coolgardie is a small town in the state of Western Australia in Australia. It is about 558 kilometers (347 miles) east of the state's main city, Perth. It has a population of 850 people.

Coolgardie Western Australia
Coolgardie Warden's Court
Coolgardie Marvel Bar RSL
Coolgardie
Coordinates	30.953°S 121.164°E / -30.953; 121.164
Population	850
• Density
Established	1892
Postcode(s)	6429
Elevation	428 m (1,404 ft)
Area	125 km2 (48 sq mi)
Location	558 km (347 mi) ENE of Perth 38 km (24 mi) SW of Kalgoorlie 370 km (230 mi) NNW of Esperance

History

Coolgardie is famous because of the gold rush that started there. In 1892, two men, Arthur Bayley and William Ford, found a lot of gold in the ground nearby.This discovery caused a huge number of people to come to the area very quickly. This was the start of the gold rush. In the late 1890s, Coolgardie became a large and rich town. At its peak, it was the third-largest town in all of Western Australia. It had many hotels, banks, and newspapers. The rush was so big that the town's importance helped make Western Australia join the new country of Australia in 1901.

Soon after the year 1900, people began to find less gold. Because of this, many people moved away from Coolgardie. The town became much smaller and was almost a "ghost town" for many years. Today, the town is still small, but it is important for its history and its old buildings.

Present Day

Coolgardie is now known as the "Mother of the Goldfields." It has many old buildings from the gold rush time that tourists like to see. The town also has a museum where you can learn about the history of gold mining. Coolgardie is also a place where you can start a trip on the Great Eastern Highway, a long road that goes across the country.