Mount Palmer, Western Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Palmer Western Australia
Mount Palmer Location in Western Australia
Area	[convert: needs a number]
LGA(s)	Shire of Yilgarn

Mount Palmer was a small town in Western Australia. It started in 1934 because gold was found there. A gold mine operated from 1934 to 1944. It closed during World War II because many workers left to join the army. The town depended completely on the mine. When the mine closed, the town was soon left empty.

People bought land plots for houses and shops. At its busiest, over 500 people lived there. The town had hotels, a bakery, a butcher, and places to stay.

How Mount Palmer Started

The town of Mount Palmer was officially planned in 1935. This happened after gold was discovered by Augustus Palmer, W Coulhoun, and A Pollard. Several names were suggested for the town. These included Palmer, Palmerdale, and Palmerston. However, these names were not chosen because they sounded too much like other places. The surveyor general then suggested the name Mount Palmer.

The townsite is about 415 kilometers east of Perth. It is also 46 kilometers from Southern Cross.

Gold Mining in Mount Palmer

Gold mining began in the Mount Palmer area in 1934. At first, miners looked for gold in riverbeds. Soon, groups were formed to dig deeper mines. Many miners came from nearby farms. They had been given farming land after working in mines before. This was part of a special act for miners who had breathed in mining dust.

These men lived in simple huts and tents near the mines. There were worries about diseases spreading. Because of this, the government decided to plan the town properly.

In 1935, Claude de Bernales started building a large machine to crush gold ore. By 1937, 85,000 tons of ore had been crushed. This produced gold worth £470,000. The mine employed only 130 men. In its first two years, it made £200,000 for its investors.

By the end of 1942, most men had left the mine. They joined the Australian Army. The number of workers dropped to 60. In June 1944, the mine closed down. The main shaft had reached a depth of 500 feet. The mine officially produced 4,928 kilograms of gold. This came from 310,728 tons of ore. However, some people believe the actual amount of gold found was much higher.