Locals remember Queen’s 1954 and 1988 visits to the Goldfields

Headshot of Madeleine Clark

Kalgoorlie-Boulder residents have shared their memories of Queen Elizabeth’s visits to the Goldfields following the monarch’s death on Friday.

Angie Budd, a proud Boulder resident, was in her late 20s when Queen Elizabeth visited Kalgoorlie and Boulder for the first time in 1954.

“I saw the Queen on Burt Street, Boulder in 1954 and then on Kalgoorlie Oval in 1988,” she said.

“I also saw ... Prince Charles at the airport when he was here — we were all lined up and he went along and talked to everybody in the line.

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“I am very sad that she has passed away but we all have to go at some time, don’t we?”

Brian Osmetti.

Brian Osmetti was just seven when the Queen made her first visit.

A student at South Boulder Primary School at the time, he could recall the distant memory.

“I remember the day — we all lined up and got on the bus to go to Boulder Oval — I think every school in Kal was at the oval,” he said.

“It was a great occasion — unbelievable really.

“I can remember wearing a big hat that was bigger than me even and we were sitting out there in the sun — it was bloody hot.

“But it was fantastic.”

Betty Lamotte was 24 at the time of the Queen’s first visit and she could recall going to Kalgoorlie Oval to see her.

“I remember all of the children were gathered on the oval and there were just so many people there,” she said.

Marg Carrott said she was saddened by the end of an era but knows the monarch’s legacy will carry on.

Betty Lamotte and Marg Carrott.

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Program: Goldfields-Esperance Mornings

What happened when the Queen visited Kalgoorlie-Boulder?

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Britain might be far away, but that didn't stop Queen Elizabeth II from leaving her mark on the Goldfields.

Historian Tim Moore says her short visits to the region in 1954 and 1988 were "patriotism personified".

He caught up with Teri Campbell on the day of the monarch's passing to take a look back...

  • Teri Campbell, Presenter

Goldfields-Esperance Mornings

In this episode

Meet the dance teacher behind the routine that welcomed the Queen to Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Kerry Pettit Meets Queen in Kalgoorlie-Boulder

"God, Queen, and Country" — the Goldfields connection to the Queen

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Queen Elizabeth II in WA 1926 -2022

Queen Elizabeth ll was the first reigning monarch of Australia to travel the country, first visiting WA in 1954, with her last visit in 2011.

She captured the hearts and minds of everyone in our state, with more than 25 000 school children gathered from Fremantle to Guilford when she left Perth for her visit to Albany.

Below we have a gallery of images of Queen Elizabeth ll visiting Western Australia. A video of Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip touring Western Australia in 1954. A list of catalogue items including photos, ephemera and maps relating to all of Queen Elizabeth ll visits to WA.

Queen Elizabeth the Big Aussie Barbecue the final event of CHOGM on The Esplanade Perth

Video of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visiting W.A. in 1954

Watch this video on the SLWA catalogue .

Catalogue items

Digitised photos.

  • Perth decorated for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, 1952
  • Royal visit arrival at Perth Airport, 1954
  • The 1954 royal visit to Perth
  • Streets decorated for the royal visit to Perth, 1954
  • Royal visit arrival at Kalgoorlie, 1954
  • Royal visit arrival at Northam, 1954
  • Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh driving past a highland pipe band at the Busselton Showgrounds, Western Australia, during the 1954 Royal Tour
  • Ceremonial arches decorate St George's Terrace, Perth for the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II, 3 April 1954
  • Perth decorated for the Royal Visit, 1954  
  • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip travel through Claremont during their visit to Perth, 18 March 1954
  • Royal visitor’s tableau for Flower Day, 1954
  • Garden Party at Government House, 1954
  • William De Neefe painting 'Governor's Ball for Queen Elizabeth II visit to Australia' in Perth, March 1954
  • Radios and record players in Nicholson’s window display for the 1954 Royal Visit
  • Decorative street lighting for 1962 Royal Visit and the Empire and Commonwealth Games
  • The 1963 royal visit to Perth
  • Queen Elizabeth II at an Investiture Ceremony in the Government House Ballroom 7 October 1981
  • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh leave Perth, 9 October 1981
  • Queen Elizabeth II officially reopening Forrest Place after a major refurbishment, 1988.
  • Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Perth for CHOGM, 28 October 2011

List of ephemera items related to the 1963 Royal Visit.

List of maps and plans relating to the Royal Visit of Queen Elizabeth II, to Western Australia, 26 March to 1 April 1954.

Physical Photographs

Physical photos yet to be digitised which you can request to view in the Leah Jane Cohen Reading Room .

  • A street in Perth with decorations for the royal visit of Queen Elizabeth II who is just visible in the back of a car
  • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit Western Australia, 1954
  • Royal Visit, 1977 and Big Bell Gold Mine, 1937
  • The Big Aussie Barbecue, the final event of CHOGM, on The Esplanade, Perth, 30 October 2011
  • Free general admission

Royal Romance

The Royal Romance exhibition examined Australia's passionate response to Queen Elizabeth II's first visit in 1954. The tour was a high-point of royal adulation in Australia. It was one of the nation’s last great pre-television events.

Royal Romance was previously on show at the National Museum of Australia from February to October 2004.

In our collection

1954 Royal Tour of Australia

On 3 February 1954 the royal barge pulled into Farm Cove, Sydney. The newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II stepped ashore, becoming the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia. Australians responded passionately to the young Queen, turning out in their millions to catch a brief glimpse of their sovereign.

For the next 2 months, until her departure from Fremantle, the Queen's visit provided Australians with a chance to celebrate and demonstrate their loyalty. Almost three-quarters of the Australian population took advantage of the opportunity, seeing the Queen at least once during the visit.

Royal Romance takes a look back on this, the most celebrated of royal tours. Decades later the passionate response of Australians to the Queen's 1954 visit requires some explanation.

Changing role of the monarchy

The royal tour by the Queen in 2000 attracted considerable interest, but not the mass excitement of her first visit. In 1954 Australians overwhelmingly supported remaining a constitutional monarchy.

By the 1990s the mood had shifted to the point where becoming a republic was the focus of major public debate. While Australians rejected the 1999 referendum proposal for Australia to become a republic, the proposal revealed a fundamental shift in Australia's attitude to the monarchy.

In developing Royal Romance , the National Museum explored the response of Australians to the Queen, why some people were so infatuated with her 50 years ago and whether we have fallen out of love since. The exhibition also examined the role of the monarchy as the living embodiment of Australia's British heritage. It explored the link between the Crown and the people and the way in which the Queen can become part of our daily lives even though she lives half a world away.

Australia on show

The 1954 Royal Tour of Australia provided Australians with a chance to celebrate their country’s achievements and potential. What the Queen was shown, and the mass display of loyalty by the Australian people who turned out in such numbers to see her, has even greater significance when viewed in the social, political and economic context of the times.

Australia on parade

During their 2-month stay in Australia the Queen and Prince Philip were shown a bewildering variety of people, places and products.

Australia was displayed as a youthful and vigorous place, a land of endless resources and possibilities. There were displays of youngsters en masse in most major cities. Children danced, sang, performed gymnastics and presented flowers to the Queen.

The royal couple met servicemen, Indigenous people, civic dignitaries and sportsmen; attended garden parties, horse races at Randwick and Flemington, a cricket match in Adelaide; and a surf lifesaving carnival in Sydney. They visited rural Australia, metropolitan Australia, sailed the waters of the Great Barrier Reef and visited the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

Industry and resources

The postwar shift from production to consumption was only just beginning in Australia. Increasing numbers of women were returning to the workforce and adding to households’ disposable income. The public imagination was still dominated by images of Australia as a land of resources and Australia was still an economy based heavily on primary industry.

In Newcastle the royal party visited the steel foundry and met with workers. At Dubbo, the itinerary included a pastoral review with woodchopping demonstrations and sheep shearing contests. In Victoria the Queen and Duke met workers at the brown coal mine at Yallourn.

The Duke visited the rocket range at Woomera to see the latest in Anglo-Australian rocket technology. Although signs of Britain’s decline as a world power were already evident, most people were happy to ignore them. The explosion of the Anglo-Australian atomic bomb at Maralinga was not only seen to have put Australia on the modern technology map, but also confirmed Britain’s role as one of the few nuclear powers on the globe.

Commemorative ceremonies

The Queen also visited war memorials. In 1954 veterans from the First and Second World Wars were joined by veterans from the Boer War and Sudan Campaign. In Melbourne the Queen opened the forecourt of the Shrine of Remembrance, while the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the scene of a display by massed ex-servicemen.

Queen Elizabeth also opened the third session of Parliament in Canberra.

Queen on show

During the 1954 royal tour, Australia was on show, but so too was the Queen. In political terms, the particular relevance of the Queen’s first visit was set by the Statute of Westminster, issued in 1931.

Prompted by the governments of Canada and South Africa, the Statute gave the Dominions of the British Empire the chance to establish themselves as independent nations of equal status to Britain. This formal independence changed the role of the Crown, which now became the foremost symbol of unity among the independent peoples of the British Commonwealth.

However, successive Australian governments did not see fit to ratify the Statute until 1942, when British power east of Suez had collapsed at Singapore and the fear of Japanese invasion gripped the Australian nation.

Official war artist Ivor Hele was commissioned to paint the Queen opening the third session of the 20th parliament on 15 February 1954. An artist with a strong sense of history and a talent for portraiture, was ideally suited for the commission.

Show of loyalty at a time of conflict

The 1954 visit gave Australians the chance to reaffirm their connections with Britain and for Britain to witness scenes of loyalty from Australia. These fulsome expressions of loyalty must have provided great comfort for some in London who feared that Australia was being lost to the Americans and may have given some illusory hope that the British Empire was still a force in world politics.

Two years later the Suez crisis underlined the loss of British power and highlighted American ascendency. From that point on, Britain and Australia were clearly subordinate allies of the United States in the Cold War confrontation between communism and capitalism.

That conflict was something that the Queen didn’t see during her tour, but it was widely present in Australian society. Chifley’s Labor government had crushed the striking miners of New South Wales in 1949 and Menzies tried, unsuccessfully, to outlaw the Communist Party of Australia in 1951.

Although this attempt failed in the short-term, the communist issue split the labour movement, ensuring that the 1950s are popularly remembered as a period of Menzies-inspired conservatism.

The 1954 tour was a high-point of royal adulation in Australia. It was one of the nation’s last great pre-television events.

Despite the continuing relevance of the constitutional monarchy in Australia’s political system, the royal tour in 2000 generated far less enthusiasm. It is difficult to imagine a visit of the scale, excitement and fervour seen in 1954, occurring in today’s Australia.

Exhausting itinerary

The Queen’s tour was comprehensive and she visited every state and territory, except the Northern Territory, from her arrival on 3 February to her departure on 1 April. The royal party was based in major cities for most of their stay, but made numerous side trips to other locations.

New South Wales Sydney: 3–18 February, Newcastle: 9 February, Lismore: 9–10 February, Casino: 10 February, Dubbo: 10 February, Wollongong: 11 February, Bathurst: 12 February, Katoomba: 12 February, Lithgow: 12 February, Wagga Wagga: 13 February.

Australia Capital Territory Canberra: 13–18 February.

Tasmania Hobart: 20–23 February, Wynyard: 23 February, Burnie: 23 February, Ulverstone: 23 February, Devonport: 23 February, Cressy: 23–24 February, Launceston: 24 February.

Victoria Melbourne: 24 February – 9 March.

South Australia Mount Gambier: 26 February.

Victoria Hamilton: 26 February, Flinders: 2 March, Sale: 3 March, Traralgon: 3 March, Yallourn:3 March, Warragul: 3 March, Benalla: 5 March, Shepparton: 5 March, Echuca: 5 March, Rochester: 5 March, Bendigo: 5 March, Castlemaine: 5 March, Maryborough: 5 March, Ballarat: 6 March, Geelong: 6 March, Warburton: 6 March.

Queensland Brisbane: 9–18 March, Bundaberg: 11 March, Toowoomba: 11 March, Cairns: 12 March, Townsville: 13 March, Mackay: 15 March, Rockhampton: 15 March.

New South Wales Broken Hill: 18 March.

South Australia Adelaide: 18–26 March, Whyalla: 20 March, Port Lincoln: 20 March, Woomera: 22 March, Renmark: 23 March, Mildura: 25 March.

Western Australia Kalgoorlie: 26 March, Perth: 26 March, Busselton: 30 March, Albany: 30 March, Northam: 31 March, York: 31 March, Fremantle: 1 April.

Facts and figures

The 1954 tour was a high-point of royal adulation in Australia. It is difficult to imagine a visit of such scale occurring in today’s Australia. Here are some interesting facts and figures from the 1954 Royal Tour:

  • 510,000 pounds sterling approximately in total contributed by the federal government
  • 500,000 miles travelled by the cars of the Royal Visit Car Company
  • 200,000 pounds sterling contributed by the federal government for the use of the yacht  Gothic
  • 200,000 people filled the streets in the city of Sydney when decorations for the royal tour were illuminated for the first time
  • 20,000 cars trapped in the gridlock that choked the city of Sydney when decorations for the royal tour were illuminated for the first time
  • 10,000 miles travelled by the Queen
  • 57 hours spent by the Queen in aeroplanes
  • 35 flights by the Duke
  • 33 flights by the Queen

Road travel

  • 2,000 road miles travelled by the Queen
  • 207 car journeys made by the Queen
  • 130 hours spent by the Queen in motor cars

Food usage aboard Gothic

  • 10,000 cartons of canned fruit from Shepparton
  • 5,000 cartons of tomato juice
  • 3,237 bags of milk powder
  • 1,500 cases of canned meat

Public engagements

  • 100 speeches made by the Queen in towns and cities she visited
  • 5 engagements per day

13 Feb 2011

Collectorfest: a right royal celebration.

  • Download Collectorfest: a right royal celebration audio file (29.5 MB)
  • View transcript

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The National Museum of Australia acknowledges First Australians and recognises their continuous connection to Country, community and culture.

This website contains names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Queen’s Legacy: A look back at Queen’s visit to the North West

Broome Shire president Dermot Farrell escorts the Queen.

She has been a constant figure in the lives of the overwhelming majority of West Australians.

For most, she is the only monarch they have ever known.

But this week, the world mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

The royal family confirmed the news at 6.30pm UK time, September 8.

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Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the announcement read.

“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

The Queen graced the throne for 70 years, breaking the record of 63 years, seven months and two days, held for more than a century by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

March 17 1963 - the Queen arrives at Kununurra airstrip in a private plane.

Just over a year after losing her husband, Prince Philip, to old age, the monarch will be laid to rest alongside her husband, ending a life of extraordinary public service.

The Queen had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year, with many recent public events cancelled or heavily modified to meet her needs, including celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee in June.

Her most recent public duty on Wednesday was to invite newly announced British Prime Minister Liz Truss to form a government in her name, but in a break from tradition, for the first time during her reign, that meeting was undertaken at her Scottish home, Balmoral, rather than London’s Buckingham Palace.

Just 24 hours later, palace officials released a statement that said the monarch was under “medical supervision” at Balmoral, with news quickly following that Princes Charles and William were travelling to see her.

It is sobering to realise that as a young princess the Queen gave her first public address in 1940, aged 14, sending a message to the children of the Commonwealth, particularly those who, like her, had been evacuated as German bombs rained down on London during World War II.

Queen Elizabeth views Mrs McDaniel’s shell collection during her visit in 1963.

In 1947, with Britain still recovering from the war, she used collected ration coupons to buy material for a dress for her marriage to Philip Mountbatten, who became Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

On February 6, 1952, as she was visiting Kenya, Princess Elizabeth was told of her father’s death and her accession to the throne. At age 25 she flew back to Britain as Queen. On June 2, 1953, amid much pomp and ceremony, her coronation took place in Westminster Abbey.

Since that day the Queen has been a rock of stability as the world has gone through a time of rapid and challenging social and political change.

In 1963, WA’s North West welcomed Her Majesty to its shores.

The tour began on March 17 when the Queen touched down in Kununurra.

The Queen visits Kununurra on March 17, 1963

Touring many spots around town, she could be seen inspecting the Kununurra Diversion Dam bridge — which was less than a year old and had not even officially been opened.

After the Kununurra tour, Her Majesty arrived in Broome aboard HMY Britannia.

Pearl luggers lined the entrance to the jetty, before the Queen was escorted to the Broome State School and welcomed by then-Shire president Demot Farrell.

Newspapers reported some 19 Port Hedland residents chartered a special DC3 aircraft to Broome, including the acting Port Hedland Shire president K.A. Mosely.

“I am very proud of the Broome people,” Mr Mosely said in a tape recording made by Port Hedland councillors.

“Here at the school where the official reception was held everything was green and fresh looking.

The crowd lines the streets during the Queen’s visit.

“Her Majesty is a charming girl. Prince Philip is a man after our own heart.”

Some 24 prisoners were also freed from the Broome prison to welcome the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

From the school, the Queen was taken to the Shire Hall where she observed sea shells and pearls, diving equipment and modern luggers.

Then it was time to return to HMY Britannia and continue on to Geraldton.

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The 1954 Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II

When this 27-year-old sailed into sydney harbour on 3 february 1954, she practically stopped the nation..

By Alison Wishart

queen_elizabeth_ii_robert_menzies_duke_of_edinburgh.png

queen visits kalgoorlie

  Queen Elizabeth II was the first, and to date, the only reigning British monarch to visit Australia. When the 27 year old sailed into Sydney harbour on 3 February 1954, she practically stopped the nation. Her arrival at Farm Cove, where Captain Arthur Phillip raised the British flag 165 years before her, attracted an estimated 1 million onlookers in a city with a population of 1,863,161 (1954 ABS Census). Those who couldn’t be there in person could listen to ABC radio’s nation-wide coverage of the historic occasion. Amalgamated Wireless Australia (AWA) helped make history when it filmed the Queen setting foot on Australian soil and relayed the footage to the Spastic Centre in Mosman – thus the royal arrival became the first televised event in Australia. 

The 1954 royal tour was a much-anticipated event. Planning had commenced in 1949 for King George VI (Elizabeth’s father) to visit Australia and New Zealand. However, a coded telegram received in October 1951 relayed the disappointing news that due to the king’s ill health and an impending operation, he would be unable to visit the antipodes as planned. Instead, the then Princess Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, would come in his place. Her Royal Highness was at a safari lodge in Kenya, en route to Australia in 1952, when she received the news of her father’s death. She made haste back to England and by the time she came to Australia in 1954, the princess was our queen.

At the time, the royal tour of 1954 was the single biggest event ever planned in Australia. It was organised in the days before email, facsimile and mobile telephones. Official printed programs stated that all those responsible for an event were to synchronise their watches with the A.B.C. time signals at 9am each day. During the Queen’s eight-week tour of Australia, the only glitch was an outbreak of poliomyelitis in Western Australia, which saw the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, intervene to insist that the royal party sleep on SS Gothic and eat only food prepared on the ship (Ferrier, 1954, n.p.). 

The fierce February sun did not prevent Queen Elizabeth from wearing her elbow length white gloves and decorative hats. Though the Australian sunlight is glaringly bright compared to England, she was rarely seen in sunglasses.

The royals visited 57 towns and cities during the 58 days they spent in Australia. They traversed the country by plane, train, ship and car from Cairns in the north, Broken Hill in the west to Hobart in the south. Their children, Prince Charles (aged five years) and Princess Anne (aged three years) did not accompany them on the exhausting trip.

During their ten days in New South Wales, they attended 28 major programs, with events scheduled for the morning, afternoon and evening.  Queen Elizabeth’s days varied from the cultural – watching a surf life-saving demonstration at Bondi Beach; to the civic – addressing 107,000 school children at three outdoor venues; to the constitutional – opening a session of parliament. The crowds were tumultuous, the press was effusive in its praise and every street the royals paraded along was festooned with decorations. 

The Library holds an extensive collection of original photographs of the visit which capture many official and candid moments. Below is a small selection - you can view three albums of photographs through our catalogue .  Dr George Bell donated a collection of photographs from the  Queen's visit to Broken Hill, which have also been digitised.

Collection of photographs of the Royal Tour, 1954

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh disembark from the Royal Barge at the landing pontoon, Farm Cove, Sydney. February 3, 1954.  

46709699.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, escorted by The Governor-General of Australia, Field-Marshal Sir William Slim and followed by H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh (white cap), Governor of New South Wales Lt. Gen. Sir John Northcott, Premier of New South Wales, Hon. J. J. Cahill and the Prime Minister of Australia, Rt. Hon. R. G. Menzies is about to step from the landing pontoon on to Australian soil for the first time at Farm Cove, Sydney. February 3, 1954.

467096920.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth escorted by the Governor General (Field-Marshal Sir William Slim) and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh accompanied by the Governor of New South Wales (Sir John Northcott), followed by the Prime Minister (Mr. R. G. Menzies) right, and the Premier of New South Wales (Mr. J. J. Cahill) 

467096917.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

The Royal Progress of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh along Park Street, Sydney (passing through the Aboriginal Arch). February 3, 1954.

467096933.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Scene looking down William St to Elizabeth Street as the car (middle distance) bearing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh makes the Royal Progress through Sydney. February 3, 1954.

c15568_0038_c.jpg

Photo of Queen Elizabeth II travelling down Wiliam St, Sydney

Part of the fireworks display held on Sydney Harbour to welcome Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh. February 3, 1954.  

467096948.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth speaking with one of the patients of the Repatriation General Hospital, "Yaralla". With her is the Medical Superintendent. 5th February 1954

467096961.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh in Land Rover (second path on left) inspect thousands of school children at Sydney Cricket Ground. February 5, 1954.

46722476.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

His Royal Highness Duke of Edinburgh accepts a bouquet of flowers from a small schoolgirl from the convent school as the Royal Car moves through the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh were returning from a visit to the Repatriation General Hospital "Yaralla", Concord. February 5, 1954.

46722477.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh wave to Sydney crowds lining Elizabeth Street as they leave Legacy House. February 6, 1954.

467224715.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh (in Land Rover) at Bondi Beach inspect life savers. February 6, 1954.

467224723.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the Archbishop of Sydney (Dr. H. Mowll) leave St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, after attending Divine Service. February 7, 1954.

c15568_0093_c.jpg

Photo of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with the Archbishop

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh inspect sheep at The Showground Dubbo (N.S.W.). February 10, 1954.

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queen visits kalgoorlie

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh arrive at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. February 16, 1954.

c15568_0120_c.jpg

Photo of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth acknowledges loyal greetings from Northern Territory aborigines

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh arrive by plane at Brisbane airport. March 9, 1954.

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Photo of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh arrive by plane at Brisbane airport

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth making a broadcast over The Flying Doctor network at H.Q. Broken Hill. March 18th, 1954.

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Photograph of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth making a broadcast over The Flying Doctor network at H.Q. Broken Hill

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth acknowledges loyal greetings from Northern Territory aborigines at Whyalla Memorial Oval. (South Australia). March 20,1954.

467208141.jpg

queen visits kalgoorlie

The State Library’s collections relating to the 1954 royal tour include invitations, entry tickets, commemorative school exercise book covers, orders of service, menus and timetables. These ephemeral items would usually be thrown away after the event. They show the detailed planning that went into the royal visit, which aimed to give as many people as possible the opportunity to see ‘their queen’. 

Since her first visit in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II has visited Australia another 15 times. 

The Library would like to thank volunteer Anne Munro for typing all the original hand-written captions for the photographs.

Ephemera items from the Royal Tour, 1954

A school exercise book cover issued to children to commemorate the royal tour of 1954

The Education Department issued school children with these commemorative covers for their exercise books. The front shows Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Australian coat of arms. The back shows the royal family from when Queen Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837.

royal_visit_souvenir_exercise_book_cover.jpg

A school exercise book cover issued to children to commemorate the royal tour of 1954

Commemorative silk timetable for the six hour train journey from Bathurst to Sydney on 12th February 1954.

royal_visit_a1_commemorative_silk_train_timetable.jpg

Photo of the Royal visit commemorative silk train timetable

The timetable includes the stations and times when the train would stop so fans could line the route. There was just enough time for the royal party to disembark at Lithgow and Katoomba to take in the sites.

royal_visit_a2_train_timetable_bathurst_to_sydney.jpg

Image of the Royal visit train timetable- Bathurst to Sydney

This 70 page booklet issued by the Department of Government Transport shows how the tram and bus timetables for Sydney services were altered during the royal visit to allow the Queen and her official party to have right-of-way.

royal_visit_b1_special_tram_and_bus_arrangments.jpg

Image of Royal visit special tram and bus arrangements

This page shows timetable changes for the 6 February when the Queen travelled to Legacy House, Randwick racecourse, Bondi Beach and the Tivoli Theatre.

royal_visit_b3_public_transport_changes_6_feb1954.jpg

Image of Royal visit public transport changes

Photography - Sydney exposed

Photography - Sydney exposed takes the first step in providing an online gateway to thousands of images highlighting the history and changing nature of Sydney, Australia's first and largest metropolis.

Bodyline cricket series, 1932-33

The controversial cricket series where England introduced an aggressive bowling style.

Splendid Species: Gould's Birds of Australia

The Library is delighted to announce the complete digitisation of its renowned "pattern" set of 681 folio-sized plates for  'The Birds of Australia' by John Gould. 

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  • Abstract Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Australia from February 3 to April 1, 1954, it was announced in a broad outline of the royal tour itinerary released by the Prime Minister's Department to-day.
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The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Sat 7 Feb 1953, Page 1 - ROYAL TOUR ITINERARY ANNOUNCED FOR 1954

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THE 10 BEST Things to Do in Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Things to do in kalgoorlie-boulder.

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  • Good for Adrenaline Seekers
  • Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

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1. Museum of the Goldfields

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2. Kalgoorlie Boulder Visitor Centre

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3. The Superpit

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4. Boulder Town Hall and Goldfields War Museum

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5. Beaten Track Brewery

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6. Hannans North Tourist Mine

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7. Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre

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8. Kalgoorlie Town Hall

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9. Broad Arrow

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10. Questa Casa

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11. Hammond Park

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12. Karlkurla Bushland Park

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13. Mount Charlotte Reservoir and Lookout

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14. Goldfields Oasis

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15. St Mary's Church

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16. Heartwalk

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17. Goongarrie National Park

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18. Goldfields Arts Centre

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19. Boorabbin National Park

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20. Paddy Hannan's Statue

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21. Kanowna

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22. Kalgoorlie Boulder Thoroughbred Race Course

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23. Eastern Goldfields Historical Society

24. archer boulders.

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25. Kalgoorlie - Boulder Kokoda Track Memorial

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26. Kalgoorlie War Memorial

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27. Kalgoorlie - Boulder Vietnam Memorial

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28. Kalgoorlie Golf Course

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29. Kalgoorlie basketball stadium

30. sassy sue's.

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  • The Superpit
  • Kalgoorlie Boulder Visitor Centre
  • Museum of the Goldfields
  • Hannans North Tourist Mine
  • Hammond Park
  • Karlkurla Bushland Park
  • Goongarrie National Park
  • Kalgoorlie Town Hall

queen visits kalgoorlie

A Guide To The Best Things To Do In Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie is a very interesting and unique place. You could say that it is the real wild wild west .

Some of the streets are still home to historic buildings, dating back to the late 1800’s, when gold was just starting to be discovered here. It’s a place where some of the oldest brothels in the country still operate on the main street, directly across the road from the Post Office in fact.

In Kalgoorlie there are boards outside the pubs with the names of the  skimpys that will be working that night. Locals head to outback pubs on dirt buggys, taking the back roads and showing up covered in mud. A super pit operates literally at the end of the main street, pulling out millions of dollars in gold each week and operating 24 hours a day.

It’s crazy and hectic and wonderful all at once.

After crossing the Nullarbor and arriving in Western Australia we decided to head north to explore a little bit of the Western Australian Outback, before we headed down to the coast. So we arrived in Kalgoorlie, with no expectations, ready to see more of this very different part of Australia.

In this post:

Getting to Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie can be found 596 kilometres east of Perth. It’s about a six and a half hour drive from the capital, through The Wheatbelt region of the Golden Outback.

Since we were coming from South Australia, we first arrived at Norseman at the end of the Nullarbor. From there, it was short two hour drive north (approximately 189 kilometres) and we arrived in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

If you would prefer to fly, there is also an airport in the city. Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport (KGI) has direct daily flights to and from Perth with both Virgin Australia and Qantas.

Check out the best flight deals to Kalgoorlie

Our guide to the best things to do in Kalgoorlie:

The kalgoorlie super pit.

The largest open pit gold mine in Australia, and one of the largest in the world, the Kalgoorlie Super Pit is quite amazing. It’s 3.5 kilometres long, 1.5 kilometres wide and more than 500 metres deep, and is made up of around 260 individual mining leases that are all joined together. 15 million tonnes of rock is moved from the Super Pit each year, which results in about 800,000 ounces of gold.

It’s attracts visitors not just because of it’s size, but also because of it’s famous blasts  where an explosion will break away a little more of the pit. The blasts happen three to four times a week between 7am and 6pm. There is a great lookout at the Super Pit, giving you views over the whole operation. It’s surprisingly close to town, only a five minute drive from the main street. The lookout is open from 7am until 7pm each day, but can be closed in the case of extreme weather.

The Super Pit also operates tours if you want to actually go inside the pit and get a close up look of all the action. Each Monday to Saturday you can choose to take either a one and a half or two and a half hour tour into the pit to learn more about their operations and what they do there.

To find out more head to kalgoorlietours.com.au or call (08) 9021 2211

Address: 250 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie

Boulder Historical Street

Beautifully preserved, the main street of Boulder looks just like it did 100 years ago in it’s gold rush hey day. The buildings have so much detail, it’s a lovely drive down the main street of town. Many of the buildings are still filled with different kinds of shops and businesses, so there’s still a lot of hustle and bustle happening here on week days.

To learn more about the city and it’s history stop into the Boulder Town Hall , where you will find the Goldfields War Museum . Or jump on the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Tram , which is more of a tourist attraction than a form of transportation. On board your driver will share entertaining and informative facts about Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the landmarks you’re driving past. Not operating all the time, check with the Visitors Centre for timetables and more information.

Play a game of Two-Up

Apparently playing two up isn’t legal in Australia, except for at this small shed in Kalgoorlie. Every Sunday locals gather here to either join in or watch the action, as large bets are placed on the game which is essentially a game of heads or tails with two coins. Seriously, there is some BIG money moving around here.

The game is played in the city’s original corrugated iron shed and bush ring on Sunday afternoons, starting at about 1:30pm and continuing well into the afternoon. You’re welcome to just go and observe, but bring some pineapples with you if you want to join in. The handful of change we grabbed from the car was definitely not going to cut it.

There’s a food truck near the entrance as well, serving hot food and drinks if you get hungry.

Address: Goldfields Highway, Kalgoorlie

Eat your way around the city

As you drive around the city of Kalgoorlie you will no doubt notice heaps of modern restaurants and bars that have been popping up around the city. Mixed in with the old school pubs, there are lots of more hipster food options in Kalgoorlie, with beer gardens covered in fairy lights all over the place.

Some of the favourites include:

  • Cecilia’s On Hay
  • Prime West Grill
  • Restaurant 259 at the York Hotel
  • Blue Monkey Restaurant
  • Paddy’s Eat & Drink

Mount Charlotte Lookout

Head to the lookout at Mount Charlotte Reservoir for the best views over the city of Kalgoorlie. From here you can see all the way from the super pit to the main streets of town, and it’s definitely best viewed at sunset to take advantage of that golden hour.

Mount Charlotte is actually the water terminus for the town, with water piped in across 563 kilometres from Mundaring Weir in Perth. This is one of the longest pipelines in the country, especially for fresh water and it has been used since it was built in 1903.

Address:  Sutherland Street, Williamstown

Visit the oldest brothel in Australia

Whether you want to take a tour inside or just do a drive by like we did, the oldest brothel in Australia can be found right in the heart of Kalgoorlie. In fact,  Case Questa , or  The Pink House as it’s known to locals, is on one of the main streets in the city, just around the corner from the Post Office. Operating for more than 120 years since it opened in the late 1890’s, this is definitely a very unique piece of Kalgoorlie’s history.

Look I’m going to be honest, brothels are not my thing, I’m not interested, don’t want to know and certainly wasn’t going to do a tour of the premises. But brothels are a huge part of Kalgoorlie’s mining history, and it’s actually a highly recommended tour by the Visitors Centre to learn more about the region.

Address:  133 Hay Street, Kalgoorlie

Take a road trip along the Golden Quest Discovery Trail

If you’ve got a couple of days to spare, check out more of the Western Australian Outback with a road trip along the  Golden Quest Discovery Trail.  Home to all kinds of random gems, the highlights of this road trip will take you to a real life ghost town, Australia’s most remote art exhibition, a lake that swirls pinks and purples, and a collection of random outback pubs.

It’s a part of the country that few choose to explore, but is definitely an interesting piece of country. Be careful of road trains if you’re driving in this part of the outback, you’re likely to see some of the biggest trucks you’ve ever seen in your life out here.

Where to stay in Kalgoorlie

During our visit we stayed in the Kalgoorlie Goldfields Discovery Parks and it was fantastic. We felt safe and comfortable, and were happy to leave our van there as we drove out into the outback. The facilities were modern and clean, and overall we were very happy with our stay.

Before we arrived in Kalgoorlie, we read many negative reviews about different caravan parks in the area (not this one), where people felt unsafe, or where they were turned away with a caravan and told that the park was only for miners not tourists, or where they had strange people wandering through the caravan park at night.

I’m not sure if any of these reviews were true (normally I try not to read reviews, but we didn’t know the best area to stay in Kalgoorlie) and most of the time take negative reviews with a grain of salt, but they did make me a little anxious and nervous. The only reason I’m sharing that is because we definitely did not have any of those experiences at Kalgoorlie Goldfields and couldn’t have felt more safe during our stay. We highly recommend staying here during your visit to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Address:  286 Burt Street, Boulder ||  Ph:  (08) 9039 4800

Find out more: Kalgoorlie Goldfields Discovery Parks

Although it might be easily overlooked by many travellers, we actually loved explore Kalgoorlie and this random part of Western Australia. We originally headed to Kalgoorlie to check out the Super Pit, but we quickly realised that there’s so much more to explore here. Add it to your big lap itinerary, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Share your Kalgoorlie secret spots with us in the comments below!

Check out more of our adventures around Western Australia

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Emma is a travel writer, photographer and blogger, chasing the sun around Australia. Travelling in her recently renovated vintage Viscount caravan, along with her husband Thom and daughter Macey, she's sharing the very best experiences from around her beloved sunburnt country.

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Home » Travel Guides » Australia » 15 Best Things to Do in Kalgoorlie (Australia)

15 Best Things to Do in Kalgoorlie (Australia)

The story of Kalgoorlie in the Western Goldfields starts in 1893 when a pair of prospectors found 100 ounces of alluvial gold close by at Mount Charlotte.

So began the Western Australia Gold Rush and the gradual discovery of an immense goldfield, the Golden Mile, that continues to produce gold in huge quantities to this day.

The jumble of mines around the Golden Mile have become one pit so large that it can be seen from outer space.

With museums, gold rush-era architecture, an historic show mine and the vast Super Pit, there’s nowhere better to unearth the past and present of gold mining in Western Australia.

1. The Super Pit

The Super Pit

For more than a century up to the 1980s Kalgoorlie’s fabled golden mile was controlled by an assortment of small operations.

This changed in 1989 with the foundation of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM), which immediately went to work excavating a single pit on such a whopping scale that it would soon be known as the Super Pit.

This can be seen from space, at 3.5 kilometres long, 1.5 kilometres wide and more than 600 metres deep.

It is served by two processing plants, treating 12 million tonnes of gold ore and producing 800,000 ounces of gold each year.

To gauge the size of this chasm there’s a lookout at the top of Outram Street in Boulder.

But if you want to experience this operation firsthand you can take a 2.5-hour tour of the Super Pit, wearing a high-vis vest and safety goggles on the air-conditioned Mine-Spec Bus.

With an in-depth commentary you’ll see gigantic haul trucks up close, enjoy staggering views and find out more about the gold milling process.

2. Hannans North Tourist Mine

Hannans North Tourist Mine

In the north of Kalgoorlie you can visit one of the most productive goldmines on the Eastern Goldfields.

This was Hannans North, first sunk in 1893 and worked until 1991. Now it’s a world-class mining museum, showcasing more than 120 years of local mining heritage, but also presenting some of the awe-inspiring machinery employed in the industry today.

The shaft descends to a depth of almost 400 metres on 13 levels, amazing considering the seam was initially only thought to be about 36 metres deep.

At the site you can tour historic outbuildings, try your luck panning for gold and take it easy at the calming Chinese Gardens.

For heavy duty hardware, check out the humungous Caterpillar 793C haul truck, and stand in the bucket of a 994K Large Wheel Loader.

3. Museum of the Goldfields

Museum of the Goldfields

Hard to miss for the giant Ivanhoe headframe towering over the site, the Museum of the Goldfields gives you all the context you need about the region’s mining tradition.

First off, this museum has the largest display of Western Australia’s collection of gold bars and nuggets, all on show in the underground vault.

The museum also sends you back to the Gold Rush years, in preserved settings like a miner’s cottage, the Woodline Office and the office and boardroom of entrepreneur Claude De Bernales, lined with jarrah wood.

Bring everything to life is a big inventory of artefacts from the turn of the 20th century, as well as detailed information about the natural history and ecology of the Goldfields.

And make sure to scale that headframe, now an observation tower, for an all-encompassing view of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

4. Hammond Park

Peacock

Kalgoorlie’s premier park is a verdant and immaculately-tended haven on the west side of the city.

Hammond Park has hints of gold rush opulence, exemplified by its beautiful heritage-listed rotunda with an onion dome.

This structure is more than a century old and one of the largest in Australia.

For children the park’s main event is the animal sanctuary, where you can get within a few metres of emus, kangaroos and peacocks, while there’s also a spacious pond close by with lots of ducks to feed.

A curiosity hiding in Hammond Park is a miniature Bavarian castle, the walls of which are claimed to be covered with more than 40,000 gemstones.

5. Golden Quest Discovery Trail

Lake Ballard, Golden Quest Discovery Trail

Kalgoorlie can be the first step on an unforgettable journey through Western Australia’s Goldfields.

This is still one of the most productive gold mining regions in the world, but has much to offer people with a taste for adventure.

The Golden Quest Discovery Trail spans almost 1,000 kilometres of stunning outback terrain, and is the ultimate way to get in touch with more than 120 years of mining heritage.

On the route, best navigated by 4WD are ghost towns, endless expanses of woodland, captivating places steeped in gold rush legend, immense modern mines and lots more.

Lake Ballard is haunting for its statues by Antony Gormley, while the outback of the Wheatbelt and Goldfields is embroidered with colourful wildflowers in spring following heavy winter rains.

6. Kalgoorlie Town Hall

Kalgoorlie Town Hall

One look at the Town Hall and its pedimented facade tells you all you need to know about the kind of money flushing through Kalgoorlie in the Edwardian period.

This stuccoed monument was completed in 1908, and its interior is even more richly decorated, with chandeliers, a grand staircase and intricate metalwork throughout.

The only way to look around is on a tour given by City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Heritage Services, taking place on Monday and Wednesday at 10:30. You’ll visit the municipal office, the mayor’s parlour and council chambers as well as a delightful auditorium and stage.

Your guide will fill you in on the Town Hall’s many enthralling stories and characters, while pointing out its valuable collection of art and historical memorabilia.

7. Karlkurla Bushland Park

Karlkurla Bushland Park

One of the sadder aspects of the Coolgardie Gold Rush was the destruction of the eucalypt woodland that once covered most of the region, cut down to fuel wood-fired steam engines at the mines.

In an ongoing effort to make amends, this 200-hectare park in the north of Kalgoorlie-Boulder at Hannan was planted by volunteers from the community in 2000. On the park’s four-kilometre signposted trail you’ll wander among native trees and shrubs, and may catch sight of a kangaroo in the morning or evening.

There’s a lookout about 1.5 kilometres from the entrance, as well as the Eco & Cultural Education Centre that opened in the grounds of the park’s nursery in 2017. “Karlkurla” is the local Aboriginal world for “silky pear”, one of the many species now flourishing in the park.

8. Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre

Royal Flying Doctor Service

Understandably a source of pride, Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service is a real lifeline for communities in the remotest parts of the outback.

Kalgoorlie’s base is crucial to the organisation’s Western Operations and was set up at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport in the 1930s.

The visitor centre at the base shines a light on the dedication of Flying Doctors today, but also recalls the history of the service, highlighting some of its pioneers who strived to bring healthcare to some of the most inhospitable places on the planet.

You can watch footage at the Roger Waller Theatre, and browse informative and interactive displays.

Entry is by donation and there’s a gift shop with RFDS memorabilia.

9. Palace Hotel

Palace Hotel

One of a cluster of historic hotels on Hannan Street, the Palace Hotel at No. 137 opened in 1897 and is a handsome example of Federation Architecture.

At the time it was thought to be the most luxurious hotel in Western Australia outside Perth, and was the first hotel in Kalgoorlie to have electric lighting.

Future President of the United States Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) frequented the Palace Hotel in the late-1890s when he was based in Kalgoorlie as a mining engineer.

If you pop into the foyer you’ll see a couple of artefacts from his time.

There’s a framed poem that he wrote for a barmaid that he fell for, next to an ornate mirror that he gifted to the hotel before he left Australia.

10. Questa Casa

Questa Casa

Certainly not for everyone, Questa Casa is the last brothel still standing at what used to be the red light district on Hay Street.

If you’re into unorthodox travel experiences or need a story to tell, you can take a tour of what is claimed to be one of the world’s oldest working brothels.

This of course dates from the gold rush in the 1890s, and is a gritty but interesting snapshot of a different time.

The tour lasts around 1 hour 15 minutes, and takes you through the working areas of the house, from the “starting stalls” at the front where workers get clients, through a maze of little rooms.

Your guide will share compelling anecdotes about Kalgoorlie’s “Wild West” days, and the lives of prostitutes and the miners who thronged this outpost some 130 years ago.

11. Broad Arrow Tavern

Broad Arrow Tavern

Go north on the Goldfields Highway and in about half an hour you’ll be at the ghost town of Broad Arrow, once inhabited by 2,400 people and now little more than desert.

In 1893, when it was known as Kurawah, this became the epicentre of the Coolgardie Gold Rush as the place where gold was first discovered.

The last holdout is the Broad Arrow Tavern, which dates all the way back to 1896 and continues to offer food and accommodation for travellers.

Business is good for this outback pub, thanks in part to the revival of the mining industry.

Almost every wall is covered with handwritten notes left by past visitors, and the thing to order is famed “Broady Burger”.

12. Beaten Track Brewery

Beer

Kalgoorlie has a rich brewing tradition, and once supplied beer throughout the Eastern Goldfields.

The last brewery closed and the industry was all but forgotten by the end of the 20th century.

Brewing was finally revived in 2007 when Beaten Track was set up.

This is a boutique-sized microbrewery making an ever-changing lineup of small batch craft beers, from IPAs, to amber ales, stouts, sours and lagers.

There will always be something outlandish to try, and a new release in 2020 was a cold brew coffee-infused pale ale.

There’s a satisfying food menu, with burgers and pizza, as well as a relaxing outdoor terrace warmed by patio heaters and blankets on chilly evenings.

13. Mount Charlotte Reservoir and Lookout

Mount Charlotte Reservoir and Lookout

Off the Goldfields Highway in the north of Kalgoorlie is an enthralling piece of local heritage.

At the site of Kalgoorlie’s first gold discovery in 1893, this reinforced concrete reservoir built into Mount Charlotte represented the region’s first assured water supply.

Able to hold 4.5m litres, the Mount Charlotte Reservoir was the culmination of an epic project, pumping water 560km from the Mundaring Weir just outside Perth.

The reservoir continues to fill its original role, but is now used as a reserve after the Mount Percy reservoir was built in the 1980s to the north.

Also at the peak of Mount Charlotte there’s a circular lookout platform for panoramic views of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the Great Western Woodlands and the mining landscape bordering the city.

14. Kalgoorlie Golf Course

Golf

Past Hammond Park and the Kalgoorlie Arboretum is an 18-hole golf course winding out into the bush.

Designed by Graham Marsh, Kalgoorlie Golf Course is ranked in the top 20 public access courses in Australia.

Each hole has an evocative name relevant to the region, like Golden Mile or Super Pit, and the fairways and greens are edged by eucalyptus trees, native shrubs and water hazards.

When we wrote this list in 2020 the driving range had just been renewed, and there are practice greens next door to help you polish your short game.

At the time of writing, greens fees were $66.50 for 18 holes.

And after your round, stop for a bite and something cold at the Waterhole Bar & Bistro, which overlooks the course.

15. Kalgoorlie Visitor Centre

Visitor Information

Also at Kalgoorlie’s historic Town Hall is the largest tourist information centre in the whole of the Goldfields.

In such a remote region, this is an invaluable amenity for anyone who wants to see more of the Goldfields and the greater outback.

You can book transport, accommodation and tours, and pick up tons of firsthand tips, brochures and leaflets for interesting things to do and places to go.

The centre has free Wi-Fi and also sells plenty of Kalgoorlie and Goldfields-related mementoes, from handmade Aboriginal art to souvenir gold coins.

15 Best Things to Do in Kalgoorlie (Australia):

  • The Super Pit
  • Hannans North Tourist Mine
  • Museum of the Goldfields
  • Hammond Park
  • Golden Quest Discovery Trail
  • Kalgoorlie Town Hall
  • Karlkurla Bushland Park
  • Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre
  • Palace Hotel
  • Questa Casa
  • Broad Arrow Tavern
  • Beaten Track Brewery
  • Mount Charlotte Reservoir and Lookout
  • Kalgoorlie Golf Course
  • Kalgoorlie Visitor Centre

COMMENTS

  1. What happened when the Queen visited Kalgoorlie-Boulder?

    Historian Tim Moore says her short visits to the region in 1954 and 1988 were "patriotism personified". ... Meet the dance teacher behind the routine that welcomed the Queen to Kalgoorlie-Boulder ...

  2. Goldfields historian reflects on monarch's two visits to the region

    Queen Elizabeth II visited the Goldfields twice during her reign, in 1954 and 1988, and both times there was a big outpouring of patriotism, local historian Tim Moore says. Mr Moore, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder local history and archives officer, said the Queen was supposed to visit WA in 1953 on her honeymoon tour with Prince Philip but as ...

  3. Locals remember Queen's 1954 and 1988 visits to the Goldfields

    Kalgoorlie-Boulder residents have shared their memories of Queen Elizabeth's visits to the Goldfields following the monarch's death on Friday. Angie Budd, a proud Boulder resident, was in her late 20s when Queen Elizabeth visited Kalgoorlie and Boulder for the first time in 1954.

  4. EIIR Hail the Queen of Australia—for us her visit will be the

    ON Friday Queen Elizabeth II will land at Kalgoorlie and Perth —the first reigning British monarch to stand on Western Australian soil. The Queen is coming not merely so that we will see her. ... 1954), Sun 21 Mar 1954, Page 2 - EIIR Hail the Queen of Australia—for us her visit will be the realisation of a dream. You have ...

  5. What happened when the Queen visited Kalgoorlie-Boulder?

    Local historian says Goldfields support of Britain funded the WWII war effort.

  6. Queen Elizabeth II in WA

    Queen Elizabeth II in WA 1926 -2022. Queen Elizabeth ll was the first reigning monarch of Australia to travel the country, first visiting WA in 1954, with her last visit in 2011. She captured the hearts and minds of everyone in our state, with more than 25 000 school children gathered from Fremantle to Guilford when she left Perth for her visit ...

  7. Did you see the Queen in 1988?

    When Queen Elizabeth visited the Goldfields in 1988, hundreds of school children lined up to see her, but 24 years later the day is all but forgotten. abc.net.au Kalgoorlie did but see her passing by - the Queen's visit in 1988

  8. Royal Romance

    Royal Romance examined Australia's passionate response to Queen Elizabeth II's first visit in 1954, ... Kalgoorlie: 26 March, Perth: 26 March, Busselton: 30 March, Albany: 30 March, Northam: 31 March, York: 31 March, Fremantle: 1 April. Facts and figures. The 1954 tour was a high-point of royal adulation in Australia. It is difficult to imagine ...

  9. 31 Mar 1954

    The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh today fleW across some of the richest parts of WA to make their first country visits to Busselton and Albany (historic scene of the State's first settlement). ...

  10. A look back at Queen's visit to the North West

    On February 6, 1952, as she was visiting Kenya, Princess Elizabeth was told of her father's death and her accession to the throne. At age 25 she flew back to Britain as Queen. On June 2, 1953, amid much pomp and ceremony, her coronation took place in Westminster Abbey. Since that day the Queen has been a rock of stability as the world has ...

  11. Royal Visits to Australia

    2011. Royal Visit to Australia by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh: 19-29 October 2011. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet published details of the Royal Visits to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022. More information about Australia's Platinum Jubilee celebrations is ...

  12. Royal tours of Australia

    Queen Elizabeth II reads a speech in Sydney, 1954. Royal tours of Australia by the British royal family have been taking place since 1867. Since then, there have been over fifty visits by a member of the Royal Family, though only six of those came before 1954. Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch of Australia to have set foot on Australian ...

  13. The 1954 Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II

    Queen Elizabeth and H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh smilingly receive prominent citizens at the landing pontoon in Farm Cove, Sydney. The Prime Minister (Mr. R.G. Menzies) is in the background. February 3, 1954. Queen Elizabeth II was the first, and to date, the only reigning British monarch to visit Australia.

  14. 07 Feb 1953

    Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Australia from February 3 to April 1, 1954, it was announced in a broad outline of the royal tour itinerary released by the Prime Minister's Department to-day. ...

  15. THE 10 BEST Things to Do in Kalgoorlie-Boulder

    1. Museum of the Goldfields. As well as artifacts on display, there is a gold vault in the basement and mining cottages outside. 2. Kalgoorlie Boulder Visitor Centre. 3. The Superpit. The super pit is a great location to visit for anyone interested in mining or the history of Kalgoorlie.

  16. A Guide To The Best Things To Do In Kalgoorlie

    The Kalgoorlie Super Pit. Boulder Historical Street. Play a game of Two-Up. Eat your way around the city. Mount Charlotte Lookout. Visit the oldest brothel in Australia. Take a road trip along the Golden Quest Discovery Trail. Where to stay in Kalgoorlie.

  17. Visitor Guide to Kalgoorlie: the Heart of the Golden Outback

    A rental car is a good idea if you want to explore the surrounding landscape. It sits in the heart of the Golden Outback Region of Western Australia. "It encompasses an area of 95, 575.1 km² and since 1989 stands as the amalgamation of the Town of Kalgoorlie and the Shire of Boulder. Over 30,000 people live in the City and the surrounding ...

  18. 15 Best Things to Do in Kalgoorlie (Australia)

    In the north of Kalgoorlie you can visit one of the most productive goldmines on the Eastern Goldfields. This was Hannans North, first sunk in 1893 and worked until 1991. Now it's a world-class mining museum, showcasing more than 120 years of local mining heritage, but also presenting some of the awe-inspiring machinery employed in the ...

  19. Welcome to Queen Bee's Coffee Kalgoorlie

    The Ultimate Parent Guide to Queen Bee's Coffee Kalgoorlie . Introduction to Queen Bee's Coffee Kalgoorlie . Discover the Extraordinary Menu ; Engage in Family-Friendly Services ; Experience the Buzzing Events ; Making the Most out of Your Visit to Queen Bee's Coffee Kalgoorlie . Sustainability at Queen Bee's Coffee Kalgoorlie

  20. Queen Elizabeth visits Busselton in 1954

    336 views, 4 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Augusta Margaret River Mail: The Queen and Prince Philip stop in Busselton as part of their extensive WA tour in 1954,...

  21. Queen Bee's Coffee Kalgoorlie: The Buzzing Hotspot for Coffee Lovers

    Just make Queen Bee's coffee experience as your own and enjoy your own family traditions here. After all, it is the smiles, laughter and love that truly make any place special. Conclusion. Visit Queen Bee's Coffee in Kalgoorlie to create memorable moments filled with laughter, shared stories and, of course, great coffee!

  22. Queen Bees Coffee

    Queen Bees Coffee, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. 3,193 likes · 56 talking about this · 514 were here. 3 locations , centennial park, a shop front located at 56 burt st boulder and a shop front located n. Queen Bees Coffee, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. 3,179 likes · 196 talking about this · 519 were here. 3 locations , centennial park, a ...