Mount Wells, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount WellsWestern Australia |
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The Fire tower, with the hut visible in the background
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| Established | 1920s | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6390 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | [convert: needs a number] | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 120 km (75 mi) from Perth | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of Boddington | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Central Wheatbelt | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | O'Connor | ||||||||||||||
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Mount Wells is a cool place in the bush near Boddington, which is south-east of Perth in Western Australia. It's a special spot because it's part of the famous Bibbulmun Track, a long walking trail. People also know it as Wourahming Hill.
Discovering Mount Wells' Past
Mount Wells has an interesting past. Since the area was settled, it has been used as a lookout for fires. This is because it is the highest point around. It helped protect the nearby timber forests.
The first fire tower and huts were actually burned down by a fire in 1961. But don't worry, they were quickly rebuilt in 1962. Later, in 1997, the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) helped fix them up.
They worked with a crew from Karnet Prison. This was done so that hikers on the Bibbulmun Track could use the huts. The Bibbulmun Track is a super long walking trail. It stretches almost 1,000 kilometres. It goes all the way from the Perth Hills to Albany.
Mount Wells Today
Today, Mount Wells is a great place for hikers. An old hut that fire tower keepers used to live in has been turned into a sleeping shelter. It can fit about 8 to 10 people. It even has an old wood stove inside! This is perfect for walkers on the Bibbulmun Track who need a place to stay overnight.
The tall fire tower nearby is still sometimes used to spot fires. From the top, you can see amazing views of the Darling Scarp. You can also see the gold mining operations happening nearby.
Many bushwalkers enjoy a 14-kilometre return walk from Mount Wells. This walk goes to Boonering Hill. Boonering Hill is a huge granite rock. It rises above the jarrah forest north of Mount Wells. In spring, you can see beautiful verticordia flowers. They grow all around the edges of the hill.
The Boddington Gold Mine
Close to Mount Wells, you'll find the Boddington Gold Mine. This mine is south-east of Mount Wells. It started working in 1987. Today, it is mostly owned by Newmont Mining (67%) and AngloGold (33%).
The mine stopped digging for gold in November 2001. This was because they had processed all the easy-to-reach gold. For a while, the mine was just being looked after.
However, a lot more gold was found deep underground. So, in 2002, plans were approved to make the mine bigger. This would allow them to dig for gold in the deeper rock. Construction to expand the mine began in May 2006.
