Bulong, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BulongWestern Australia |
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 Bulong
Location in Western Australia
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| Established | 1895 |
| Postcode(s) | 6431 |
| Elevation | 431 m (1,414 ft) |
| Area | [convert: needs a number] |
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder |
| State electorate(s) | Eyre |
| Federal Division(s) | O'Connor |
Bulong is an abandoned town in Western Australia. It is located about 580 kilometers (360 miles) east of Perth. You can find it in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia.
Contents
Discovering Bulong
In 1893, a group of gold explorers found gold here. Their names were Hogan, Henry, Holmes, Kennedy, and Turnbull. They found it on a piece of land they called 'IOU'.
How Bulong Got Its Name
In 1894, a surveyor named G. Hamilton was asked to plan the town. It was first going to be named IOU. However, Hamilton suggested a new name: Bulong. This name came from an Indigenous Australian name for a nearby natural spring. The town was officially recognized in 1895.
A Busy Gold Town
Because of the gold mining, Bulong grew very quickly. By 1900, about 620 people lived there. It was a busy place with many businesses.
Life in Bulong
Bulong had several hotels, bakeries, and butcher shops. There were also accountants and general stores. The town even had its own hospital and a school. For safety, there was a police station. People could send messages from the telegraph station and post office.
Water and News
The town got its water from Lake Yindarlagooda. The water was cleaned and then pumped up to Mount Stuart. From there, it flowed down to the town. Bulong even had its own newspaper, the Bulong Bulletin. It was printed from 1897 to 1898.
Local Government
When Bulong was at its busiest, it had its own local government. The Municipality of Bulong looked after the town from 1896 to 1909. Later, the Bulong Road District managed the area from 1899 to 1911.
Modern Mining Near Bulong
Even after the gold rush ended, mining continued in the area. A nickel mine and processing plant, called the Bulong Nickel Mine, operated near the old town site. In 2005, a company called Lionore bought the mine. They planned to make the plant bigger to process more nickel.
