Destination Profile - Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie is located 40 km east of Coolgardie, 595 km east of Perth and 200 km north of Norseman and is Australia's largest outback City.
The traditional landowners of the Kalgoorlie area are the Maduwangka people and the name Kalgoorlie is said to mean "Silky Pear Bush" in the local aboriginal language.
European settlement of Kalgoorlie began in June 1893 with the discovery of rich alluvial gold deposits near Mount Charlotte. The three Irish gold prospectors credited with the discovery were Paddy Hannan, Dan Shea and Tom Flanagan. Paddy Hannan later reported discovering 8 pounds of gold nuggets to the mining warden in Coolgardie, and within a matter of days 700 gold diggers were frantically pegging out mining claims around Kalgoorlie. Kalgoorlie's gold rush had begun and by 1903 the town boasted a population of 30,000, along with 93 hotels and 8 breweries.
Today the Golden Mile continues to be actively worked by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines. During the past 20 years the use of modern open cut mining technologies has seen the Golden Mile transform itself into a Super Pit.
Current dimensions of the "Super Pit" are 290 m deep by 1.5 km wide and 4 km long. At current extraction rates KCGM has proven reserves that should last beyond the year 2013 - by which time the Super Pit will have expanded considerably.
This destination is part of the Western Wedge Safari Australian Adventure.
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