Goongarrie, Western Australia

Goongarrie is an abandoned town in Western Australia, located in the Goldfield region of Western Australia 84 kilometres (52 mi) north of Kalgoorlie.

Goongarrie
Western Australia
Goongarrie
Coordinates30.043°S 121.161°E / -30.043; 121.161
Established1895
Postcode(s)6438
Elevation378 m (1,240 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Menzies
State electorate(s)Electoral district of Kalgoorlie
Federal Division(s)O'Connor

The town site was originally known as 90 Mile, the distance of the settlement from Coolgardie.[1]

A group of gold miners named Pickersgill, Cahill, Frost and Bennett, discovered gold in the area in 1893, which was the first discovery since gold was struck in Coolgardie. The town was known as 90 Mile and The Roaring Gimlet initially;[2] the latter name comes from the sound the south westerly wind makes as it roars through the gimlet trees.[3] A townsite was proposed in 1894 and gazetted in 1895.[4] Some of the gold mines that operated in the area were the Phoenix, the Caledonian and Lady Montefiore. The name Goongarrie comes from the nearby Lake Goongarrie, and is an Indigenous Australian word of unknown meaning. By 1903 the population of the area had dwindled to 66 people. The site of the town later became part of a pastoral station of the same name and is now part of Goongarrie National Park.

References
  1. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – G". Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  2. "ExploreOz - Goongarrie, WA". 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  3. "Department of Environment - Goongarrie Station". 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  4. "Morowa Historical Society" (PDF). 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
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