Norseman, Western Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Norseman Western Australia
Roberts Street, Norseman
Norseman Location in Western Australia
Postcode(s)	6443
Area	[convert: needs a number]
Location	726 km (451 mi) from Perth 196 km (122 mi) from Kalgoorlie 203 km (126 mi) from Esperance
LGA(s)	Shire of Dundas
State electorate(s)	Kalgoorlie
Federal Division(s)	O'Connor

Norseman is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It is located along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway. The town is about 726 kilometers (451 miles) east of Perth. It sits 278 meters (912 feet) above sea level.

Norseman is also the starting point of the Eyre Highway. This highway leads to the South Australian border, about 720 kilometers (447 miles) to the east. At the 2021 census, Norseman had a population of 562 people.

History of Norseman

The Search for Gold

Norseman was founded because people were looking for gold! It is on the traditional land of the Ngadju people. Gold was first found in the Norseman area in 1892. This was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the town, near Dundas. The "Dundas Field" was officially named in August 1893. A townsite was also set up there.

In August 1894, Lawrence Sinclair and his brother George, along with Jack Alsopp, found a very rich gold reef. Sinclair named it after his horse, Hardy Norseman. His family had come from the Shetland Isles in December 1863. Laurie's brother James worked in Esperance. He was the Post and Telegraphist Master there.

Town Establishment and Growth

In January 1895, a mining official asked the government to create a townsite. This was for the 200 miners who had arrived. The town was officially named on May 22. The Aboriginal name for this area is "Jimberlana."

Norseman faced challenges at first because Dundas was already an established town. However, between 1895 and 1901, Norseman grew. It gained a post office, banks, a doctor, a courthouse, stores, and churches. In 1899, Cobb & Co mail coaches started delivering mail to Norseman.

In 1935, Western Mining Corporation came to Norseman. They invested a lot in the town's services. This led to new paved roads and electricity. The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was also extended to the town. In 1898, the town's population was 418 people.

Norseman was once the second-richest goldfield in Western Australia. Only the Golden Mile of Kalgoorlie was richer. It is believed that over 100 tonnes of gold have been taken from the area since 1892. The Norseman Gold Mine is Australia's longest continuously running gold mine. By 2006, it had been working for over 65 years. It had produced more than 5.5 million ounces of gold by then.

Norseman Today

Today, Norseman is a small town. Its main activities are mining and tourism. A large pile of mining waste, called a tailings dump, is a noticeable feature.

Norseman is 724 kilometers (449 miles) east of Perth. You can get there via the Great Eastern Highway and Coolgardie-Esperance Highway. The town has a population of about 1,000 people. It has a district high school, which opened in 1894. There are also shops, places to stay (like a hotel and caravan park), a hospital, and council offices. A Community resource centre is also in town. Since it's the start of the Eyre Highway, there are two places to get fuel.

Geography

Climate in Norseman

Norseman has a semi-arid climate. This means it is generally dry with hot summers.