Australian Prospectors & Miners' Hall of Fame facts for kids

The Australian Prospectors & Miners' Hall of Fame is a special place that honors important people in the history of mining in Australia. It's like a museum for mining heroes! It first opened in 2001 near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Sadly, it closed in 2011 because it ran out of money. Now, you can mostly find information about it online.

About the Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame honors more than 100 people who made a big difference in Australia's mining industry. The idea for this Hall of Fame started in Kalgoorlie in 1995.

In 1997, there was a contest to design the building. By 1999, it joined up with the Hannans North Tourist Mine. Groups were set up in every state of Australia to help raise money. With help from the government and mining companies, they collected A$25 million for the project. The Hall of Fame officially opened its doors in October 2001.

Over time, more people were added to the Hall of Fame. They also collected old and special items from mining history.

Why it Closed

In November 2011, the Hall of Fame had to close. It faced money problems. The mining industry, not the government, had started it. By 2009, it owed A$600,000.

Andrew Cook became the new director and tried to fix things. He lowered the entry fee from A$25 to just A$3. This helped them pay off their debt. Even with some help from the government, the Hall of Fame kept losing money. So, it could not stay open.

For a while, people hoped it would open again in late 2012. But that didn't happen. Now, the buildings are rented out. The tourist mine is still open and run by another group. However, the main Hall of Fame building is closed to the public.