Murrin Murrin, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Murrin MurrinWestern Australia |
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Sign and ruins of townsite
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 Murrin Murrin
Location in Western Australia
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| Established | 1896 |
| Elevation | 184 m (604 ft) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Leonora |
| State electorate(s) | Kalgoorlie |
| Federal Division(s) | O'Connor |
Murrin Murrin is an abandoned town in Western Australia. It's located about 883 kilometers (or 549 miles) east of Perth. You can find it along the Old Laverton Road, between the towns of Leonora and Laverton. This area is part of the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia.
Discovering Murrin Murrin
Murrin Murrin started as a busy mining camp. This happened during a time when many people rushed to find gold in Western Australia. Land was made available for people to settle here in 1896.
A Town's Beginning
In 1896, Alfred Edward Morgans set up a copper smelter in the area. A smelter is a place where metal is taken out of rock using heat. Alfred Morgans later became the Premier of Western Australia. A Premier is like the leader of the state government.
Town lots, which are pieces of land for building, were sold in 1900. However, a railway line built in 1905 to Leonora bypassed the main town area. The railway station was built about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of where the town first started.
Because of this, the town's boundaries were made bigger in 1906. This was done to include the new railway station. After that, most new buildings and growth happened closer to the railway line. A police station was opened in 1905. The building for it was finished in 1906, but it closed in 1911. It opened again in 1943 but then closed for good in 1951.
What's in a Name?
The name "Murrin" comes from an Indigenous Australian language. It refers to a type of Acacia tree that grows a lot in this area.
Modern Mining Nearby
In the 1960s, valuable metals like nickel were found in nearby places such as Kambalda and Mount Windarra. Today, a very large mining project called the Murrin Murrin Joint Venture operates about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the old townsite. This project produces important metals like nickel and cobalt. It was named after the historic Murrin Murrin town.
