Mount Margaret, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount MargaretWestern Australia |
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 Mount Margaret
Location in Western Australia
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| Population | 79 (2021 census) |
| Established | 1897 |
| Elevation | 418 m (1,371 ft) |
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Laverton |
| State electorate(s) | Kalgoorlie |
| Federal Division(s) | O'Connor |
Mount Margaret is a fascinating ghost town in Western Australia. It's located about 900 kilometers (560 miles) northeast of Perth. You can find it about 31 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Laverton. This area is part of the Goldfields-Esperance region.
Discovering Mount Margaret
The first European to explore this area was John Forrest. He was a government surveyor. In 1869, he was on an expedition. He was looking for another explorer, Ludwig Leichhardt. On June 25, he named a nearby hill Mount Margaret. He named it after Margaret Elvire Hamersley. She later became his wife in 1876. The local Aboriginal people call this hill Kalgara.
Gold Rush and Town Life
Gold was discovered here in 1893. Prospectors James Ross and Bob McKenzie found it. The town's main mine was called Mt Morven. It was on the eastern side of the town. By 1896, local groups wanted the town to be officially recognized. In 1897, land lots were measured. The town was officially declared that same year. A police station opened in Mount Margaret in 1898. However, it closed just one year later, in 1899.
The Mount Margaret Mission
After a drought in 1921, Rod Schenk started something important. He established the Mount Margaret Aboriginal Mission in 1922. It was about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) northeast of the town. In 1924, another drought hit the area. Many Aboriginal people had to go to nearby Mount Morgans for food. There was also some unfriendliness from local station owners. When the food places at Mount Morgans and Linden closed in 1927, Aboriginal people moved. They found a new home at the mission in Mount Margaret.
