Gwalia

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Gwalia is a ghost town although still home for some old and new residents. The old store, guesthouse and many miners cottages can be viewed first hand. The Hotel which was the first of Western Australia's State Hotels was built in 1903. The mine managers house and old mine office, now the local historical gallery, are atop the hill and provide fascinating displays of early history and lifestyle in Gwalia and North Eastern Goldfields.

The original headframe and winder engine of Sons of Gwalia Mine can also be viewed now surrounded by more recent mining activity. Ken, a small locomotive used on the extensive narrow gauge 'woodlines' established to collect 30,000 tons of Mulga timber each year to fuel the steam winder, can be found at the museum.

This area was first explored in the 1860's John Forrest's party camped near and named Mt Leonora in 1869 during his search for the lost Leichardt expedition. Twenty Five years later prospectors moved through the area. By 1896 the first claims were pegged at Gwalia and Leonora and mining commenced.

It was the Sons of Gwalia leases west of Mt Leonora that were to shape the area for the next seventy years. This mine ran continuously for sixty-seven years, sixty-five of those under the same company whose first manager was Herbert Hoover(later the U.S. President). The Sons Of Gwalia mine was the largest underground mine outside the Golden Mile. Some of the associated buildings and mine plant can be seen at Gwalia today.

Due to Gwalia's tendancy to flooding the Government of 1900 declared Leonora the offical townsite. A large population continued to live on and about leases at Gwalia. Hence the twin towns developed. Both thrived until 1963 when Gwalia died with the closure of the mine.