Yunndaga, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids YunndagaWestern Australia |
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 Yunndaga
Location in Western Australia
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| Established | 1904 |
| Postcode(s) | 6438 |
| Elevation | 422 m (1,385 ft) |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Menzies |
| State electorate(s) | Kalgoorlie |
| Federal Division(s) | O'Connor |
Yunndaga is a ghost town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It sits between the towns of Kalgoorlie and Leonora along the Goldfields Highway. A ghost town is a place that used to be a busy settlement but is now mostly empty and abandoned.
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How Yunndaga Started
In the mid-1890s, people found gold in the area where Yunndaga is now. Because of this exciting discovery, plans were made in 1898 to create a town with places for businesses and homes. This planned town was first going to be called Woolgar.
By 1904, the local mining warden (an official who manages mining areas) wanted the town to be officially recognized. However, there was already a town named Woolgar in Queensland. So, a new name was needed. The name Yunndaga was chosen instead. The town was officially declared and recorded in government papers (this is called "gazetted") in March 1904.
Yunndaga's Railway Connection
A railway line was being built from Kalgoorlie to Menzies starting in 1897. Later, a special stop called a "siding" was added for Yunndaga. A siding is a short track next to the main railway line where trains can stop or switch tracks.
This railway line was a "narrow gauge" line, meaning the tracks were closer together than standard tracks. The line was closed down in 1973, and the siding at Yunndaga was taken apart.
Community Life in Early Yunndaga
Even in its early days, Yunndaga had a community spirit. By 1904, two churches had been built in the town. There was a Roman Catholic church and a Methodist church, showing that people were settling down and building a community.
The Yunndaga hotel was an important place for people to gather. It was built before 1918. In that year, the hotel was sold for £3000, which was a lot of money back then!
By 1924, Yunndaga was home to several businesses. One of these was the Royal Group Hotel. There were also important gold mines nearby, like the Menzies Consolidated Gold Mine, which brought people and jobs to the area.
Population and Name Origin
In 1936, there were about 50 people living in Yunndaga. This shows that the town was a small but active community for some time.
The name of the town, Yunndaga, comes from the Aboriginal language. It was originally spelled as Yundagar. However, the exact meaning of the name is not known today.
