Coolgardie

Mining town in Western Australia, 557 km/346 mi east of Perth; population (1996) 1,300. It was once a busy mining town, but only a handful of small gold mines remain in the district. Tourism is becoming an increasingly important source of local employment.

The district around Coolgardie was explored in the 1860s, although it was not until the discovery of gold in 1892 that a town emerged. By 1898 the town had a population of 15,000, 23 hotels, seven newspapers, and two stock exchanges. It experienced a slump in the 1900s as easily mined gold ran out, although new mining technology and high gold prices contributed to a second boom in the 1930s. It went through cycles of boom and bust between World War II and the 1970s. A nickel mine was opened in 1979, but closed in 1983.