Cuddingwarra, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CuddingwarraWestern Australia |
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 Cuddingwarra
Location in Western Australia
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| Established | 1895 |
| Postcode(s) | 6640 |
| Elevation | 455 m (1,493 ft) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Cue |
| State electorate(s) | North West |
| Federal Division(s) | Durack |
Cuddingwarra is a place in the Mid West region of Western Australia. It used to be a busy town, but now it is mostly empty, like a ghost town. You can find Cuddingwarra between the towns of Cue and Big Bell.
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A Town Built on Gold
Cuddingwarra became a town because of gold. People found gold in this area in 1888. At first, the place was called Dead Finish.
How Cuddingwarra Got Its Name
The name Cuddingwarra comes from a nearby hill. This hill was first written down in 1878 or 1879. That's when the Lacy brothers applied for a pastoral lease there. A pastoral lease is like renting land for farming animals. The town was officially made, or gazetted, in 1895. This means it was formally recognized by the government.
Life in the Early Town
By 1898, Cuddingwarra was a growing town. It had a coach service that went to Cue twice a week. This was like a bus service back then. The town also had its own post office. There were three hotels where people could stay or eat. These were the Cuddingwarra Hotel, the Roadside Hotel, and the Victory United Hotel.
Gold Mining in Cuddingwarra
Mining was very important in Cuddingwarra. In 1895, a company called Amphlett and Keating found a lot of valuable gold. They showed samples of this gold to a bank in Perth.
The town had special machines to help get gold from the rocks. In 1898, there was a ten-head battery. This machine used heavy stamps to crush rocks and find the gold inside. Local mining companies, like Cuddingwarra Gold Mines Ltd, used this battery. Later, the battery was made even bigger. It became a fifteen-head mill to process more ore from other mines.
The Meaning of the Name
The name Cuddingwarra comes from the Aboriginal language. However, its exact meaning is not known today.
