Broad Arrow, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Broad ArrowWestern Australia |
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 Broad Arrow
Location in Western Australia
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| Established | 1896 |
| Postcode(s) | 6431 |
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder |
| State electorate(s) | Electoral district of Kalgoorlie |
| Federal Division(s) | O'Connor |
Broad Arrow is a fascinating ghost town in Western Australia. It's located about 38 kilometers (24 miles) north of Kalgoorlie and 633 kilometers (393 miles) east of Perth. You can find it on the main road that connects Kalgoorlie to Leonora. A ghost town is a place that used to be busy but is now mostly empty.
Contents
The Story of Broad Arrow
How Broad Arrow Got Its Name
Broad Arrow was first called Kurawah. This is where gold was first found in 1893. This discovery started a big gold rush in the area north of Kalgoorlie. The official goldfield, called the Broad Arrow Goldfield, was created on November 11, 1896. The town of Kurawah became a municipality (its own local government) in 1897.
The town got its new name, Broad Arrow, from a miner named Reison. He found gold and left special markers on the ground. These markers looked like a broad arrow to guide his friends to his discovery. His mine was also named Broad Arrow.
Building the Railway
Work on extending the Eastern Goldfields Railway line began in August 1897. This line connected Kalgoorlie to Menzies. The railway reached Broad Arrow on November 6, 1897. The railway station even had a long passenger platform, about 107 meters (350 feet) long. This made it easier for people and goods to travel to the town.
Life in a Gold Mining Town
At its busiest, Broad Arrow was a lively place. It had about 15,000 residents! Imagine that many people living in one small town. There were eight hotels and two breweries. It even had a stock exchange, where people could buy and sell shares in mining companies.
The town also had many important services. These included a hospital and three churches. There was a Salvation Army Hall, a chemist, and two banks. A police station with a judge, a mining registrar, and a post office were also there. For shopping, people had a cordial factory, six grocery stores, and two drapery shops. There were also blacksmith and bakers' shops. Broad Arrow was the main center for smaller towns nearby. These included Ora Banda, Smithfield, Black Flat, White Flag, and Grant's Patch.
The town even had its own newspaper, The Broad Arrow Standard. It was printed from 1896 to 1899. In 1897, a large dam was built for the Public Works Department. It could hold about 45 million liters (10 million imperial gallons) of water.
By 1898, the town's population was 337 people. This included 218 males and 119 females.
Why Broad Arrow Became a Ghost Town
By the 1920s, most of the gold had been mined. People started to leave, and the town became abandoned. This is how it turned into a ghost town.
However, Broad Arrow still has some life! In 1971, the movie Nickel Queen was filmed there. They used the town's only remaining hotel, the Broad Arrow Tavern. This tavern is still open today for travelers. It's famous for its walls, which are covered with handwritten notes from visitors over the years. In recent times, mining companies have started working in the area again. One example is the Paddington Gold Mine.
Local Government in Broad Arrow
Broad Arrow had its own local government, called the Municipality of Broad Arrow, starting in 1897. In 1903, it joined with the nearby Municipality of Paddington. They formed a new local government called the Municipality of Broad Arrow-Paddington. Later, in 1910, this combined municipality joined with the larger Broad Arrow Road District. Finally, in 1922, the Broad Arrow Road District became part of the Kalgoorlie Road District. This shows how local areas changed over time.
Images for kids
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A map showing the history of the Kalgoorlie region.
