Goongarrie, Western Australia
| Goongarrie Federal division(s) | O'Connor | |
|---|---|---|
Goongarrie is an
Kalgoorlie
.
The town site was originally known as 90 Mile, the distance of the settlement from Coolgardie.[1]
A group of
gold miners named Pickersgill, Cahill, Frost and Bennett, discovered gold in the area in 1893, which was the first discovery since gold was struck in Coolgardie. The town was known as 90 Mile and The Roaring Gimlet initially;[2] the latter name comes from the sound the south westerly wind makes as it roars through the gimlet trees.[3]
A townsite was proposed in 1894 and gazetted on 17 June 1895.[4][5]
Some of the gold mines that operated in the area were the Phoenix, the Caledonian and Lady Montefiore.
The name Goongarrie comes from the nearby Lake Goongarrie, and is an Aboriginal Australian
word of unknown meaning.
By 1903 the population of the area had dwindled to 66 people. The site of the town later became part of a pastoral station of the same name and is now part of Goongarrie National Park.
References
- ^ "History of country town names – G". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "ExploreOz - Goongarrie, WA". 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "Department of Environment - Goongarrie Station". 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "Morowa Historical Society" (PDF). 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "GOVERNMENT GAZETTE". The West Australian. Vol. 11, no. 2, 911. Western Australia. 17 June 1895. p. 2. Retrieved 15 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.