Home to the largest open-cut gold mine in Australia, Kalgoorlie is a quintessential Australian town with a rich mining history. It features historic pubs and general stores and lies on the doorstep of one of Australia’s most fascinating ghost towns.

Things to do

Kalgoorlie boasts one of Australia’s finest heritage precincts along Hannan Street, renowned for its late-19th-century Federation-era architecture. Government buildings, pubs and boutique shops line its streets, beautifully preserved with their original interiors.

Gain a better understanding of Kalgoorlie’s mining history at the Kalgoorlie Museum, which boasts impressive panoramas of the town from its viewing platform. There are artifacts from Kalgoorlie’s early mining days and gold nuggets displayed in the underground vault, as well as a collection of Indigenous cultural tools and weapons.

Spend a day exploring the walking trails of Karlkurla Bushland Park that lies on the edge of Kalgoorlie. It is named after the Indigenous word for silky pear, one of the many native plant species found here, along with towering salmon gums and an impressive birdlife.

Want to experience a ghost town? Make a day trip to Kanowna, a once thriving mining town that is now completely abandoned. Wander the cemeteries and deserted train platform, then take in the views of its vast open-cut mine from the Kanowna Belle Gold Mine lookout.

Getting around

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport is the main gateway to the town, connecting it to Perth and Melbourne, or you can ride the Indian Pacific train from Sydney. Buses travel throughout Kalgoorlie, although most sights are within an easy walking distance of one another.